Olmsted County Jury Sides with Mayo Clinic in High Profile Lawsuit

Olmsted County Jury Rules for Mayo Clinic at End of High-Profile Civil Trial

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- An Olmsted County Jury has sided with Mayo Clinic in a high-profile lawsuit. 

See Also: Mayo Clinic and Prominent Physician Face Off in High-Profile Civil Trial

The verdict came down on Thursday and concluded a civil trial that lasted for more than a week. 

The case involved a well-known Mayo Clinic physician and his employer. Dr. Michael Joyner sued Mayo Clinic in 2023, claiming he faced retaliation for comments he made during interviews with CNN and the New York Times.

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He also alleged and for his actions as a purported “whistleblower” by reporting a Mayo Clinic business partner’s attempt to unlawfully access and use protected patient data. 

Read More: Mayo Clinic Responds to Lawsuit by High-Prominent Physician 

Mayo Clinic responded to the lawsuit by arguing that the discipline faced by Dr. Joyner was the result of problematic statements to the media and disrespectful communications with fellow Mayo Clinic employees.

Judge Limited Scope of Lawsuit Last Year

Last year, The judge presiding over the case ruled last year that Joyner cannot pursue the portion of his lawsuit related to whistleblower protections.

The judge did rule that a jury may hear his breach-of-contract claims against Mayo Clinic. 

Jury Rejects Joyner's Claims That Mayo Violated its Policies

Joyner alleged he was disciplined for “media interview statements regarding his own research and conclusions,” the lawsuit said. 

In one interview, he stated, “Testosterone is the 800-pound gorilla,” while discussing sex differences and sports performance. 

In another interview, Joyner criticized the National Institutes of Health’s approval process as “bureaucratic rope-a-dope” and claimed the agency’s guidelines discourage doctors from using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19. 

See Also: Rochester Public Utilities Issues Alert Over Phone Scams 

His lawsuit argued that the disciplinary actions violated Mayo Clinic’s “Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom Policy.” 

Joyner also contended the policy “promises to protect faculty from fear of retribution or retaliation when those opinions and conclusions conflict with those of the faculty or the institution.” 

On Thursday the jury ruled Mayo Clinic did not breach its anti-retaliation policy in 2020 and in 2023. The jurors also determined Mayo did not violate its appeals procedure.