Mayo Clinic says it would have “reconsidered” its decision to invite a speaker to a Florida conference had it known about the speaker’s social media posts.
In March, Dr. Mary O’Connor addressed Mayo Clinic’s 2024 Advancing Academic Career Excellence for Women conference. Dr. O’Connor is a medical doctor and researcher who focuses on joint replacement, the influence of gender in the treatment of arthritis, and the differences in knee tissue between men and women.
In addition to her medical work, Dr. O’Connor consistently speaks out against biological men participating in women’s sports.
After the conference took place in March, Rochester Pride, an LGBTQ organization sponsored by Mayo Clinic, complained to Mayo Clinic about Dr. O’Connor’s presence at the conference. In turn, Mayo Clinic sent a statement to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Mayo Employee Resource Group (LGBTI MERG).
Rochester’s KAAL-TV obtained the full statement from the Mayo Clinic.
In that statement, Mayo Clinic said Dr. O’Connor’s social media activity is “inconsistent with Mayo Clinic values and does not represent the views of the organization.” Mayo Clinic continued by saying it would have “reconsidered” inviting Dr. O’Connor had it known about her social media activity prior to the conference.
“We realize this has caused hurt at a time when the transgender community is facing ongoing discrimination and attacks,” added the Mayo Clinic.
In response, the chair of Rochester Pride posted on social media, saying, “We are grateful to Mayo Clinic for finally addressing this issue. Although we believe this statement still downplays the seriousness of Dr. O’Connor’s actions and there is still much work for Mayo Clinic to do in the fight against transgender bigotry and discrimination, we appreciate their willingness to listen, learn, grow and do more to advocate for the most marginalized within our community.”
This is Dr. Mary O’Connor. She's employed by Mayo Clinic and was invited to speak at one of their conferences.
Dr. O'Connor believes there are only 2 s*xes and men cannot be women. Due to these radical beliefs, Mayo Clinic issued a statement condemning her after the Rochester,… pic.twitter.com/gqhupj4mTZ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 17, 2024
In addressing the situation, the Rochester Pride chair also said “Rochester Pride expects our partner organizations to be fierce allies to our community.”
Dr. O’Connor is an emeritus professor with the health care giant and is based out of its Jacksonville, Fla., location.
Alpha News reached out to Mayo Clinic and Dr. O’Connor seeking comment. Neither responded.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
