The family of Tierra Walker has filed a lawsuit in Bexar County District Court accusing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and several of her doctors of deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment that ultimately caused her tragic 2024 death. The legal action alleges that both political and medical establishments in Texas failed and actively harmed Walker during a high-risk pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, a severe and potentially fatal high blood pressure condition.
Walker, who had struggled for years with chronic health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, asthma, and Type 2 diabetes, learned she was nearly eight weeks pregnant on September 19, 2024, during an emergency room visit. Three years earlier, she had developed preeclampsia while pregnant with twins, which resulted in a stillbirth and triggered a severe decline in her health. By mid-2024, her health had begun to improve as she managed to lower her blood pressure and lose weight with the help of a GLP-1 medication. However, upon discovering her new pregnancy, an emergency room physician noted in her medical records that it was "too early in pregnancy to have eclampsia" and sent her home after adjusting her blood pressure medications.
Walker spent most of October hospitalized, undergoing extensive testing for seizures that doctors ultimately classified as non-epileptic "functional seizures" unrelated to her pregnancy or preeclampsia. Her medical records show she was surrounded by family members throughout her stay and was repeatedly offered mental health and psychiatric treatments for anxiety. Her aunt, LaTanya Walker, stated that medical staff treated her niece poorly because they assumed her symptoms were psychological. "They really treated her so bad because they thought she was crazy," she said, recalling that a staff member once asked her to tell Walker's husband that "this is all in her head."
During her lengthy October hospitalization, Walker and her family repeatedly warned medical staff that continuing the pregnancy would cost Walker her life and asked if she could undergo a termination. According to family attorney Maloney, Walker first requested an abortion at another hospital on October 12, and made a subsequent request at University Health on October 30, when she was approximately 11 weeks pregnant. The lawsuit alleges that despite the clear risks to her life, University Health staff did not counsel Walker on abortion as a life-saving medical treatment, failed to offer the procedure, and did not suggest that she travel out of state. Instead, hospital staff reportedly insisted that "nothing is wrong with the baby" and refused the requested care on that basis.
In late October and early November, two doctors documented in Walker's medical records that she faced a "high" risk of death. Despite these warnings, she was discharged from the hospital, only to be readmitted days later. LaTanya Walker recalled pleading with staff to perform an abortion, but was told, "It's her, but it's not the baby." The lawsuit claims staff repeatedly disregarded Walker's deteriorating health by telling her, "Your baby is fine." While Walker wanted to have the baby, her aunt noted she was deeply concerned about her teenage son, JJ, and knew she needed to survive to care for him.
Texas's near-total abortion ban went into effect in 2022 following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The law contains an exception to save the life of the mother, but subjects anyone who performs an abortion to up to 99 years in prison, massive fines, and the loss of their medical license. In 2025, Texas enacted "The Life of the Mother Act" to clarify medical emergency exemptions and protect doctors who perform life-saving abortions, codifying a Texas Supreme Court ruling that had been handed down shortly before Walker became pregnant. However, medical providers continue to report widespread fear. Molly Duane, another attorney representing the Walker family, stated that Texas doctors are "scared to even write the word in the medical chart." Maloney added that in depositions for other cases, doctors have admitted to having undocumented conversations about abortion with patients due to fear of state repercussions. LaTanya Walker noted that she and her niece had considered ordering abortion medication online but decided against it out of fear of complications and legal liability.
A survey of more than 200 Texas OB-GYNs conducted in 2025 by Resound Research for Reproductive Health revealed that less than half of the physicians surveyed believed the 2025 legislative changes would improve their ability to provide care, while more than two-thirds remained concerned about legal consequences. Dr. Emily Briggs, an obstetrician and family physician practicing in the San San Antonio area, confirmed that hesitation remains common among her colleagues despite the legislative clarifications.
Walker returned to the emergency room for the final time on December 27, where she was formally diagnosed with preeclampsia. Despite potentially fatal complications, her attorneys state she was never offered an abortion and was discharged later that night. The lawsuit highlights that her discharge paperwork from that visit explicitly stated that delivery—which would mean an abortion at that stage of pregnancy—may be the best treatment for preeclampsia. Dr. Céline Gounder, a medical correspondent and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, stated that standard medical guidelines dictated Walker should have been admitted, stabilized, and given medication to prevent seizures. Under those guidelines, Gounder noted, Walker's pregnancy should have been terminated because the fetus was too young to survive. Instead, she was sent home.
Days later, on his 15th birthday, Walker's son found his mother unresponsive in her bed. An autopsy determined Walker died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia. She was found to have an enlarged heart, severe fluid buildup in her lungs, and kidney damage. The fetus, at 20 weeks' gestation, was normally developed and weighed less than a pound.
In response to the lawsuit, University Health released a statement stating it cannot comment on individual patients or active litigation, but added, "Our priority is to provide medically appropriate and timely care, while safeguarding patient privacy and complying with all applicable laws and regulations." The Texas Medical Board stated that under its current rules, a physician is not required to wait until a mother's life is in immediate danger or major bodily functions are at risk before providing necessary care, which may include pregnancy termination. A spokesperson for Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, who is named as a defendant, stated that Gonzales has not prosecuted any abortion cases and that his office will review all law enforcement filings carefully to ensure charging decisions are grounded in fairness and justice. Attorney General Ken Paxton's office has not responded to requests for comment.
Independent medical experts consulted on the case criticized the decision to discharge Walker at 20 weeks pregnant while presenting with severe preeclampsia. Dr. Kameelah Phillips, a New York City OB-GYN who reviewed portions of Walker's records, described it as one of the most egregious malpractice cases she has ever seen, stating, "She didn't have to die. I don't think she would have died if she was in a different state." Conversely, Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, argued that Walker's death was the result of inadequate medical care rather than Texas's abortion law. Francis stated that Walker needed coordinated care, aggressive blood pressure management, and continued hospitalization until stabilization and delivery, adding that she likely would have survived had she been stabilized and delivered immediately instead of being sent home.
Attorneys Maloney and Duane denied that the timing of the lawsuit is political, despite Paxton running in a highly competitive Senate race. They noted that the two-year statute of limitations is set to expire in the coming days. Duane accused Paxton of using his office to "stoke a culture of fear" and argued that civil rights laws allow individual officials to be held personally liable when their actions lead to the death of a citizen. Asked about her message to Paxton, LaTanya Walker replied, "Honestly, go to hell."
