A free speech lawsuit filed by Michael Joyner, MD, against Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic is set to go before a jury in July 2025, NBC affiliate KTTC reported Feb. 15.
Dr. Joyner filed the suit in November, alleging the health system violated his protected speech following his suspension after publicly criticizing the National Institutes of Health.
The suit alleges that between 2020 and 2023, Mayo Clinic retaliated against Dr. Joyner for comments made during interviews with CNN and The New York Times. He also alleges the health system fabricated reports of problematic behavior to justify firing him in 2023.
Dr. Joyner is a professor of anesthesiology at Mayo's College of Medicine and Science and served as the principal investigator on the U.S. Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayo Clinic has maintained that the disciplinary action against Dr. Joyner was in response to unprofessional treatment of co-workers in violation of Mayo policy and for unprofessional comments about the NIH's convalescent plasma guidelines.
The health system told Becker's that some of Dr. Joyner's claims are lacking legal support under Minnesota law and that it has filed a motion to dismiss some of the allegations.
According to the report, there will be a court session to discuss legal matters related to the case.