Press Release

Do No Harm Files Lawsuits Challenging Two Racially Discriminatory Scholarship Programs

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • December 12, 2024
  • University of Colorado School of Medicine

Richmond, VA; December 12, 2024 – This week, Do No Harm filed two lawsuits against racially discriminatory medical scholarships offered by the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Do No Harm sued the University of Colorado School of Medicine to challenge the Underrepresented Minority Visiting Elective Scholarship because the scholarship is offered only to students from groups “historically underrepresented in medicine.” This scholarship thus excludes – and disfavors – white medical students in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Do No Harm sued SOMOS and the U.S. Navy to challenge the E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship – which SOMOS administers in partnership with the U.S. Navy – because that scholarship is offered only to medical students from an “underrepresented gender or racial background in orthopaedics.” This scholarship also excludes and disfavors white medical students in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

“Racial discrimination in all forms is unacceptable. Excluding medical students from scholarships because of their skin color is not only unfair but is also damaging to the integrity of medical education,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of Do No Harm. “If patients are to receive the highest standards of care, medical schools and societies must prioritize merit, not identity politics. We call on these two organizations to renounce their discriminatory practices and to open their scholarships to all qualified applicants.”

Click here to read the University of Colorado School of Medicine complaint.

Click here to read the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons complaint.

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 14,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries, DNH has achieved over 10,000 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.