The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) is pleased to announce that former Minnesota State Senator Dr. Scott Jensen filed an appeal to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals following the federal court’s dismissal of his lawsuit against the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.
Dr. Jensen’s lawsuit asserts that the Board investigated him due to his political speech on COVID-19, which contradicted the mainstream political-medical narrative, even though not a single patient ever complained about his speech. Despite the U.S. District Court’s decision to dismiss the case, UMLC and Dr. Jensen remain resolute in their commitment to defending First Amendment rights, believing that the case raises critical questions about the government’s role in silencing the political speech of licensed professionals.
“We are proud to represent Dr. Jensen in this important fight for free speech,” said James Dickey, Managing Attorney at UMLC. “This case is far from over. The government may not weaponize professional licensing boards to punish individuals for their political views. We believe the 8th Circuit will see the merit of Dr. Jensen’s case and agree that the First Amendment protects him from this kind of overreach.”
Dr. Jensen’s lawsuit claims that the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice began investigating him after he became a vocal critic of COVID-19 policies and chose to run for governor. He suddenly faced multiple investigations by the Board, an agency that had never previously taken any action against him in over 40 years of medical practice. Each investigation was based on Dr. Jensen’s political speech.
“After four decades of dedicated service to my patients and being honored as Minnesota’s Family Practice Doctor of the Year, I never thought my voice would be silenced by those in power simply because I chose to speak out,” Dr. Jensen said. “This is not just about me—it’s about everyone’s right to freely express their opinions without fear of retribution.”
