Traci Tamiko Eto said she spent a year and a half trying to warn Mayo Clinic that its AI strategy was cutting corners on patient privacy and safety. Now she’s suing the Rochester, Minnesota-based health system.
Below are six key takeaways from her retaliation lawsuit.
—Eto joined Mayo in December 2023. The lawsuit stated that she joined Mayo as director of research operations, tasked with aligning the health system’s practices with federal AI governance standards and overseeing a team of 36 employees.
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—She said she witnessed major blunders in AI safety during her time at Mayo. Over the course of 18 months, Eto flagged several lapses in Mayo’s compliance with federal AI rules — including a bypassed institutional review board on a study of Mayo’s digital assistant tool, mishandled patient data during de-identification processes and the unauthorized approval of a cardiac surgical procedure without proper institutional review, according to the complaint.
—Eto’s whistleblowing was ignored and ultimately punished, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleged that Mayo’s leadership was made aware of Eto’s concerns but chose to prioritize speed and competitive advantage over compliance, dismissing her objections. In July 2025, Eto was demoted from her supervisory role and subsequently took medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act — a request Mayo initially denied before approving it once she retained an attorney, the complaint said. While she was on leave, she was notified that her position was being eliminated as part of a reduction in force that, according to the lawsuit, affected only her role. Eto said she applied for 15 internal positions but landed just one interview, and was officially terminated on December 1, 2025.
—Eto said Mayo also tried to limit her professional standing going forward. The complaint alleged Mayo minimized her role in a patent application for an AI tool she said she helped design, and that the health system maintained an internal “ghost file” system marking her as ineligible for rehire.
—Mayo said its AI practices are compliant. In a statement emailed to MedCity News, the health system said it is “committed to the responsible development and deployment of AI, with privacy, security, transparency and compliance embedded throughout [its] processes.” While Mayo does not comment on active litigation, it maintained that its “research and clinical innovation are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” and that it remains “steadfast in upholding the trust patients place in us and respecting their privacy.”
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—Eto is seeking damages under multiple federal laws. The lawsuit, filed July 6 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, brings claims under the retaliation provision of the False Claims Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Eto is seeking a jury trial, along with back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and compensatory and punitive damages.
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