On Tuesday, Kristoff St. John (Neil Winters) and his ex-wife, Mia, filed a lawsuit against La Casa Psychiatric Health Facility in Long Beach, California, related to the death of their son, Julian.
As Soap Central previously reported, the actor's 24-year-old son was found dead in a bathroom at the health facility last November. Though his death was originally thought to be a suicide, St. John and his ex are placing blame on the facility, alleging that nurses and staff members regularly skipped mandatory check-ins and observations of Julian and that employees falsified documents in order to cover up the claimed neglect (including allegedly writing numerous fraudulent reports that indicate the staff checked in on him more than they actually did).
The couple's son suffered from schizophrenia for years prior to his death, which is why he was placed in the facility to begin with. "This lawsuit is to shed light on the inefficiency and the incompetency that happens in mental hospitals nationwide," St. John told Entertainment Tonight. "We have a bad health care system... People should never die in the hospital for lack of care."
He continues, "My son died because there are millions of people suffering from the mental disabilities of schizophrenia, bipolar, and being depressed," he said. "And so at the end of the day his life will not be in vain. His life will be vindicated, and I will campaign until the day that I die to bring justice to my son."