Press Release

Do No Harm Sues Louisiana Governor to Block Racial Discrimination in Medical Board Appointments

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • January 5, 2024

The lawsuit argues the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners appointment criteria is unconstitutional

On January 4, 2024, medical watchdog Do No Harm filed a lawsuit against Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards due to unlawful racial mandates requiring the governor to exclude non-minority candidates for a certain number of positions of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.

The lawsuit, filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of Do No Harm, alleges that the racial mandate is unconstitutional in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Do No Harm seeks a permanent prohibitory injunction preventing Governor Edwards from enforcing or attempting to enforce the racial mandate.

“Choosing candidates to oversee the critical aspect of the state’s medical field based on anything other than merit is corrosive to the mission and perception of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of Do No Harm. “This type of discriminatory mandate is not only unconstitutional, but also reflects the politicization of healthcare that is dangerous for patients and physicians. Expertise should be the determining factor, and Louisiana must get rid of discriminatory practices to refocus on medical excellence.”

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division.

Background

  • The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is comprised of ten members appointed by the governor.
  • In 2018, the legislature enacted a law requiring the governor to make every other newly appointed member for certain Board slots on the basis of race.
  • Given this racial mandate, four seats that require race-specific appointments will become available within the next two years.
  • Do No Harm’s lawsuit says that qualified potential board appointees will not be given equal consideration for the seats that will come open, which is a violation of their Fourteenth Amendment protections.

Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With more than 6,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and in 14 countries, DNH has achieved more than 4,900 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.