Investigation Launched After Racial Limits Reported

Investigation Launched After Racial Limits Reported

(NewsReady.com) – One of America’s leading medical schools is being investigated over a racist admissions policy. A physicians’ group has accused Loyola University Chicago of violating civil rights laws over its eligibility requirements for interns. The group says the school’s policy excludes white students from a key program. The Department of Education is now looking into the allegations.

In August, a conservative physician’s group, Do No Harm, filed a complaint with the Department of Education (DOE) against Loyola University Chicago’s Strich School of Medicine, alleging that the school is running an admissions policy that discriminates against white students. Do No Harm says the school’s Diversity in Surgery program for visiting medical interns, which lists its eligibility requirement as “African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander,” is selecting candidates based on race instead of merit.

Mark Perry, a senior fellow at the group, says this policy will lead to a decline in the quality of doctors. According to Perry, the school can prioritize merit or diversity, but it can’t do both — and, he says, Loyola has made the wrong choice. The complaint calls on the DOE to investigate the claims.

Do No Harm says the policy isn’t just a bad idea; it also violates Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. By specifying what ethnic groups are allowed to apply for the program, and requiring candidates to attach a photo to their applications, the school is engaging in race-based discrimination in a program that receives federal funds.

On January 19, the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights wrote to Do No Harm, saying it has evaluated the complaint and decided to launch an investigation. The agency made it clear this doesn’t mean it found wrongdoing. However, if they decide the complaint is justified, Loyola’s internship program could have its federal funding axed.

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