Carson Group’s former chief marketing officer agreed to drop her lawsuit against the firm days before a scheduled court hearing to address allegations that she altered medical records to bolster her claims.
On Dec. 26, Mary Kate Gulick and Carson Group jointly agreed to dismiss the case Gulick filed against her former employer, with prejudice, meaning that the case cannot be reintroduced at a later date.
A now-moot hearing had been slated for Jan. 8 concerning Carson Group’s accusations that Gulick asked physicians to alter medical records submitted as evidence to make it seem that the company’s alleged mishandling of a sexual assault accusation against a Carson employee worsened Gulick’s health. However, according to a Carson spokesperson, Gulick had “acknowledged that she altered the medical records.”
Although the joint dismissal stated each party would handle their own costs related to the suit, Carson claimed that Gulick had agreed to repay the firm for “a portion” of its expenses.
“We are satisfied with this resolution and look forward to focusing all our resources on our advisors, their clients and our employees,” the spokesperson said.
An attorney for Gulick, speaking on her behalf, stated that she “has decided to dismiss her lawsuit and move on, focusing on her family and her career in the new year.”
Gulick sued Carson Group in April 2024, alleging that the firm’s handling of an assault accusation against a Carson employee by an attendee to an industry conference left Gulick in an untenable position.
According to the suit, Carson Group asked Gulick to provide support to the victim, and a firm executive allegedly told her the accusation would be “handled appropriately.” Gulick claimed that the firm reneged on the promise, and then-CEO Ron Carson opted to keep the unnamed employee on staff (according to Carson, the employee is no longer with the company).
Gulick claimed that then-Chief Strategy Officer (and current Carson CEO) Burt White texted Gulick that the company is “driven horribly,” and expressed sympathy for her situation. However, Gulick’s mental health allegedly continued to suffer from the fallout of the assault complaint until White allegedly fired her in June 2023.
During the discovery process, Carson Group requested Gulick’s medical records showing her mental health struggles stemmed from problems at the firm, and allegedly found that Gulick asked several medical providers to “alter the content” of her records to support her accusations, as well as claiming an expert witness supporting Gulick relied on those records while testifying.
In November, Jacqueline DeLuca, the U.S. Magistrate Judge in Nebraska federal court overseeing the case, paused the ongoing lawsuit. In the order, she argued a stay was “appropriate” while she heard arguments about Carson’s accusations, citing their seriousness.
