Lawsuit over death of autistic man in a Pittsburgh jail alleges negligence, systemic discrimination

By CLAUDIA LAUER
Associated Press

Eleven days after 57-year-old Anthony Talotta arrived at a Pittsburgh jail, he died from what his family says was a treatable and preventable infection from a foot wound. Talotta, who had autism and developmental disabilities, was brought to the Allegheny County Jail after a fight with a staff member at the group home where he lived. In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Talotta’s family alleges doctors and medical staff at the jail provided substandard care, and jail policies discriminate against people with those disabilities by making it harder for them to access medical care. They also allege the jail’s health care provider was negligent in hiring a doctor whose license was revoked or suspended in eight other states.