Florida
Lawsuit claims Florida doctor used ‘mentally ill’ woman as surrogate
A Florida doctor entangled in an embryo mixup lawsuit is being sued by another patient claiming he used a “severely mentally ill” woman as a surrogate.
Dr. Milton McNichol, along with Fertility Center of Orlando, IVF Life, IVF Orlando, are named in the new lawsuit filed in March in Seminole County. It alleges a woman in her early 20s was used as surrogate for her cousin and her cousin’s partner, despite the woman’s long-documented history of severe psychiatric illnesses, including Baker Act admissions and experiencing psychiatric instability at the time of the IVF procedure.
The unnamed woman’s attorney, Andrew Rader, said his client was in no condition to be a surrogate and could not meaningfully consent to it.
“This case reflects a profound failure to protect a woman who should never have been approved for surrogacy,” Rader told USA Today Network. “Our complaint details how family members manipulated and coerced a young woman with serious psychiatric illness into a surrogate arrangement she was in no condition to understand, while the fertility clinic and treating physician failed to carry out the most basic psychological screening and safeguards that could have protected her.”
What happened to baby surrogate carried?
The embryo transferred into the surrogate had a fatal genetic disorder, thanatophoric dysplasia, according to the lawsuit.
There were serious complications during the pregnancy, which Rader said resulted in profound trauma to his client. The baby died about 10 days after birth, causing the surrogate “devastating emotional harm.”
“She believed that the baby was biologically hers, and was further distraught when the baby’s remains were immediately taken out of the country,” Rader said. “The surrogate who is not mentally, emotionally or psychologically well is still seeking her son who passed away. She is fixated on finding her son.”
What are the regulations, guidelines when using a surrogate for IVF?
While there are no regulations set for using a surrogate, there are guidelines set forth by various reproduction and in vitro fertilization groups.
Proper psychological screenings are one of the guidelines. The lawsuit alleges the intended parents knew the surrogate was psychologically unfit and exploited both her impaired judgment and financial distress.
The intended parents do not have attorneys representing them yet, and attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.
Calls were left with attorneys who have represented McNichol, Fertility Center of Orlando, IVF Life, IVF Orlando in previous cases.
Rader said it has not been determined what monetary amount his client is seeking.
“We want to increase awareness on the lack of regulation in this industry,” he said. “If these cases push toward better regulation, more transparency, more mandatory guidelines, it would really be great.”
What is the embryo mixup lawsuit McNichol is involved in?
McNichol, the doctor who runs IVF Life, is being sued by a couple after the woman gave birth in December 2025 and it was determined the baby was not genetically related to her or her partner.
It’s believed the embryo mix-up happened six years ago when Tiffany Score had her eggs removed and joined with Steven Mills’ sperm through in vitro fertilization and resulted in embryos that were later frozen. Attempts are being made to determine the biological parents of the baby, and to determined what happened to Score and Mills’ remaining embryos.
In a recent court hearing, it was revealed that McNichol is selling his clinic as of May 1. The new owners have not been revealed.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
Florida wildlife officials will release more information about the 2026 Florida Python Challenge on Tuesday, which brings hunters from all over to compete for a big cash prize while also helping protect the local ecosystem.
The competition has been held every year since 2013 to help raise awareness of the invasive Burmese python, which has contributed to the decline of small mammals like opossums, bobcats and foxes.
On Tuesday, officials with the Florida Wish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District and partners are holding a news conference to release more information about the unique competition that helps to support the delicate Florida Everglades ecosystem.
It was a record-breaking year for the competition in 2025. The FWC said 934 people from 30 states and Canada removed a record 294 pythons during the 10-day competition.
Last year was also the first time Everglades National Park was included among the official competition locations.
And last year’s winner removed 60 invasive Burmese pythons and claimed the $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize.
When is the 2026 Florida Python Challenge?
The 2026 Florida Python Challenge starts at 12:01 a.m. on July 10, 2026, and ends at 5 p.m. on July 19, 2026. Those who are interested in participating in the event can register here.
Participants must follow the competition rules and specific area regulations of the eight competition locations.
Those who are taking part will also be required to take the 2026 version of the Required Online Training, and training from a previous year is not valid for the 2026 registration.
The Florida Python Challenge aims to raise awareness, remove the invasive snakes
The Florida Python Challenge, now a yearly event, includes public education and a 10-day competition in which participants attempt to capture and remove Burmese pythons from public lands.
The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world, with adult snakes caught in Florida growing to between 6-9 feet in length, and the largest captured in Florida measuring more than 18 feet long.
Because of their large size, adult Burmese pythons don’t have many predators, with humans being the exception.
They can also pose a threat to human safety, with pythons also preying upon pets like cats and dogs.
A truck driver is accused of hitting a parked car and then driving off, according to Orlando police.
Rakeem Williams, 32, faces a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, according to an arrest affidavit.
Police said Williams attempted to drive down a narrow road near South Street when he hit the parked car.
🏆 Residential: The top home sale recorded in South Florida was in Pinecrest, where Ernesto and Magaly Santana parted with a 11,500-square-foot mansion at 10101 Southwest 60th Court for $13.4 million. Magaly Santana is an heiress to the Sedano’s Supermarkets fortune. The buyer was a trust tied to Alexei Y. Antipov. The home has seven bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms and sits on a 1-acre lot. It was on the market for about $15 million. Cristina Lujan of Brown Harris Stevens Miami had the listing, and Roberto Morales of Edmond Roberts LLC brought the buyer.
🏆 Commercial: The most expensive commercial deal logged in South Florida was in Miami, where a 5-acre development site at 90 Northwest 137th Avenue in Miami sold for $11.3 million. The seller was Miami-based Silver Eagle Enterprises. The buyer was a trust. The site sits within Miami-Dade County’s Urban Development Boundary, according to a listing with Avison Young.
📊 Residential: A 6,700-square-foot home at 3701 Park Avenue in Miami changed hands for $12.6 million, or nearly $1,900 per square foot. An LLC managed by Jonathan Leyva sold the property to a trust. The home, constructed last year, has six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half baths. Its last asking price was $13.5 million. The seller’s agent was Michael Garcia with Real Estate Sales Force. Debra Wellins with BHHS EWM Realty represented the buyer.
📊 Residential: In Miami Beach, Eli and Revital Finkelman — he is a tech entrepreneur — sold a waterfront home at 4510 Prairie Avenue for $11.5 million. The buyer was 4510 Acquisition LLC. The Finkelmans had owned the 5,600-square-foot home since 2019, when they purchased it for $7 million. The house, built in 2018, has six bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms. The sale works out to just over $2,000 per square foot. Citadel Realty’s Natalie Turetsky had the listing. Compass’ Mendel Fellig represented the buyer.
📊 Residential: Wade Davis, vice chairman of the board at TelevisaUnivision, and Dr. Jennifer Mascarenhas, an anesthesiologist, dropped $10 million to purchase a condo at 1643 Brickell Avenue in Miami. A trust was the seller. The seven-bedroom pad has seven and a half bathrooms across 10,000 square feet. The sale breaks down to $1,000 per square foot. The unit last sold in 2022 for $12 million. It went back on the market in December 2022 for $15 million; its last asking price was just under $12 million. Compass’ Liz Hogan represented both sides of the deal.If you like this digest, you can get it even earlier — every evening — by subscribing to TRD Data, here.
-
New York18 minutes agoVideo: Judge Grants Luigi Mangione’s Request to Supress Some Evidence
-
Los Angeles, Ca24 minutes agoCardi B in the lead as 2026 BET Awards nominations announced
-
Detroit, MI48 minutes agoSouthfield police chase ends in fiery crash in Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA60 minutes agoSan Francisco ninth graders will now be measured by a controversial ‘Wheel of Power’ — so how would the city’s leaders fare? We put them to the test. – The Voice of San Francisco
-
Dallas, TX1 hour ago
Mailbag: Could Valdes-Scantling battle for WR3?
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoMen arrested for defacing Miami Beach pride bench with antisemitic graffiti, cops say
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBoston’s Logan airport opens first-in-nation remote airport terminal
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoVehicle goes airborne, hits home overnight in Denver: Police
