The allegations by Eto<\/p>\n
The suit, filed on Monday in Minnesota\u2019s U.S. District Court, stated Eto was hired in Dec. 2023. <\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next 18 months, Eto would uncover a disturbing set of flaws in Mayo\u2019s AI compass,\u201d the complaint said. \u201cIt started with gaps in the protection of patient privacy; exemptions from institutional review protocols regarding privacy were exploited much too freely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eto, according to court records, was designated as the leader of Mayo\u2019s efforts to align with new federal guidance to establish security and privacy-based safeguards for the country\u2019s growing AI sector. <\/p>\n
She oversaw 36 employees and three managers in the role, per details in the complaint. <\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/DB2GNCLPIBEIDCDXBRU4M27Y24.png\")
A former Mayo Clinic employee says the medical giant ignored federal standards in lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court.(KTTC)<\/p>\n
\u201cEto observed other fundamental lapses that included manipulation of data to conceal unfavorable outcomes, deployment of a software tool without proper oversight, and in one instance, the authorization of a cardiac surgical procedure without adequate institutional review; and a propensity for evading the federally mandated institutional review process,\u201d the filing continued.<\/p>\n
As cited in the complaint, Eto claimed Mayo Clinic was resistant to her concerns because they \u201cwould jeopardize the pace of ongoing research projects, which in turn would compromise Mayo\u2019s competitive advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the spring of 2025, Eto \u201cwas warned that she had been targeted for termination\u201d and put on a performance improvement plan, based on information included in the legal documents. <\/p>\n
After returning from medical leave in Sept. 2025, Eto was told her position was being eliminated in a restructuring plan, the complaint stated, with her employment officially ending on Dec. 1. <\/p>\n
From Eto\u2019s legal team<\/p>\n
Eto, who lives in Alabama, is being represented by HKM Employment Attorneys, with an office in Minneapolis. <\/p>\n
KTTC reached out to HKM Wednesday for comment on the lawsuit. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mayo Clinic made the deliberate choice to put profit first, over patient privacy, and in one egregious instance, patient safety,\u201d said attorney Artur Davis, one of the leads of the case. \u201cBy sounding the alarm when Mayo\u2019s AI mission lost its way, Traci Tamiko Eto valiantly made herself, her career, and her reputation a target. She is standing up to corporate immorality and arrogance.\u201d<\/p>\n
From Mayo Clinic<\/p>\n
KTTC also reached out to Mayo Clinic for its response to this week\u2019s federal filing.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson provided a statement late Wednesday. <\/p>\n
\u201cMayo Clinic is committed to the responsible development and deployment of AI, with privacy, security, transparency and compliance embedded throughout our processes,\u201d the spokesperson said in a statement. \u201cOur research and clinical innovation are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and we remain steadfast in upholding the trust patients place in us and respecting their privacy. Mayo Clinic does not comment on pending or active litigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s at stake?<\/p>\n
According to the lawsuit, Mayo Clinic violated Eto\u2019s rights under the False Claims Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). <\/p>\n
Eto is seeking financial compensation for wages and emotional distress, along withe punitive damages. <\/p>\n