Mayo Clinic censored and gag ordered one of their top scientists

https://www.thefire.org/news/mayo-clinic-medical-college-doctor-sit-down-and-shut

Most people hold Mayo Clinic in high regard as being the holy grail of health research, the fixer of abnormal health conditions, etc. They are among the most bought and paid for, in the same ranks as Johns Hopkins.

“On March 5, Mayo Clinic suspended professor Michael J. Joyner without pay. Why? Because he spoke to the press, which isn’t unusual for him. Joyner is a renowned academic sought by journalists for his expertise on a range of medical issues related to his subject-matter competence. A quick Google search reveals some of his latest commentary on issues related to COVID-19, public health, and sports performance.”

Dr. Joyner was giving information in interviews regarding convalescent plasma and sports performance. He was NOT speaking as a Mayo employee, he was speaking as a health researcher. Mayo decided they did not like that, and because he did not stick to the script they wanted to, they suspended him for “his words and actions may reflect badly on Mayo”.

“Conceding that it suspended Joyner to protect its “brand and reputation,” Mayo Clinic said the quiet part out loud. And it was not content to punish Joyner for the comments he already made — it also muzzled him going forward. As part of his sanction, Joyner must “[v]et each individual media request through Public Affairs …  [to] determine what topics are appropriate and are responsible for protecting Mayo Clinic’s brand and reputation” and “[c]ease engagement in offline conversations with reporters.” 

In other words: Sit down and shut up. Joyner may not speak, and when he does, he must“[d]iscuss approved topics only and stick to prescribed messaging.” 

This is now leading to a legal battle. Because “this expansive gag order violates the free speech promises Mayo Clinic makes to its faculty. The college’s Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom Policy commits to uphold “academic freedom and freedom of expression for all learners and faculty …  which includes the right to discuss and present scholarly opinions and conclusions without fear of retribution or retaliation” even “if those opinions and conclusions conflict with those of the faculty or institution.”  Whoa. They suspended and gag ordered him in direct violation of their own freedom of expression policy!

Joyner has hired a team of attorney’s to defend him. “With help from his First Amendment attorneys at Allen Harris Law, he appealed his punishment. In the meantime, Joyner remains silenced, denied his annual raise, and banned from speaking with journalists without college permission. Unsurprisingly, administrators have rejected media requests on his behalf.”

We spent much time discussing the unwillingness of people to step forward and do the “right thing”. The first place to start is severing the snake head off the top of the food chain so that the people below them can finally have the freedom given to them under their constitutional rights and, in this case, their employee freedom of expression policy.