SIU School of Medicine’s Long, Long History of DEI

Over the past few months, Do No Harm has exposed numerous examples of Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine officials and administrators promoting regressive identity politics.

From unearthed videos exposing administrators’ efforts to resist the Trump administration’s anti-DEI efforts to evidence of discrimination, SIU has long been one of the most prolific proponents of DEI in medical education.

Now, the Daily Wire has reported that Dr. Jerry Kruse, dean and provost of SIU School of Medicine, is stepping down from his position next year. 

This latest development coincides with reporting that SIU is promoting scholarships that are restricted to members of certain racial groups.

Do No Harm is providing a brief overview of the various examples of identity politics at SIU that we’ve helped publicize leading up to Dean Kruse’s announcement:

Discriminatory Recruitment Plans: In April, Do No Harm first reported on several SIU recruitment plans aimed at recruiting students, staff, and faculty deemed to be “underrepresented” in medicine. These plans date back over a decade, indicating SIU’s lengthy commitment to discriminatory recruiting practices.

For instance, the school’s Minority Faculty Recruitment Plan states that: “The School will recruit, retain, and advance a student body, faculty, and staff reflective of the diversity of the region served by the medical school. A diverse faculty includes individuals from traditionally underrepresented in medicine groups (African-Americans, Latinos, Native- American Indians, Alaskans Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders) as well as women.”

“Resist” Trump Administration Policies: In May, Do No Harm obtained footage of Dean Kruse promising to oppose Trump’s executive orders on DEI and gender during a meeting with school staff.

“We will resist obeying in advance. We won’t do any anticipatory obedience,” Kruse said. “The existing laws have not changed, no court directives will require any change in compliance at this time.”

“More importantly, these orders and actions constitute a direct attack on the people we serve, the people to whom we are accountable,” Kruse added.

Admissions Disparities: Also in May, the Daily Wire, citing figures and analysis from Do No Harm, reported that blacks and Hispanics admitted to SIU have on average much lower GPAs and MCAT scores than admitted whites and Asians.

“In 2024, the average MCAT score of accepted Asians and whites (combined) was more than 4 points higher than that of accepted blacks and Hispanics (combined) — equivalent to a gap of about 14 percentile points. On GPA, accepted Asians and whites on average had 0.36 higher scores than accepted Blacks and Hispanics.”

Misleading Claims Supporting Gender Ideology: In July, the Daily Wire reported on the Gender Equity and Transgender Clinic, owned and operated by SIU, which offers sex change interventions to minors.

On its website, the Clinic made the following claim: “Puberty blockers are not permanent. When they are stopped, puberty continues normally.”

As Do No Harm pointed out in a recent comment to the Federal Trade Commission, this claim is misleading at best as “the effect of pubertal suppression on neurodevelopment is wholly unknown.”

“Puberty doesn’t just continue normally,” Do No Harm Senior Fellow Dr. Jared Ross told the Daily Wire. “There are only so many years of pubertal development. And if you interfere with puberty during that time, you don’t get to make it up later. 
Those are lost years of growth and development.”

Discriminatory Scholarships: SIU is still advertising several scholarships for its medical students that are facially discriminatory.

One scholarship, the “Underrepresented Students in Medicine” scholarship operated by the American Medical Women’s Association, provides two $1,000 scholarships for applicants that, according to SIU, are exclusively reserved for applicants who are “African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander and mainland Puerto Rican.”

The scholarship purports to “actively promote a diverse culture” in medicine in order to align with the claim that “patients that we serve are from increasingly diverse ethnic backgrounds and communities.” The program’s description makes clear that it is intended for applicants of certain racial groups, citing the Association of American Medical College’s now-removed definition of “underrepresented in medicine.”

However, in an encouraging sign, the scholarship’s description states that it “will not be open for 2025-2026 cycle.” With any luck, the American Medical Women’s Association will ditch racial discrimination for good.  

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In short, these examples reveal a long, sustained pattern of commitment to radical identity politics over excellence and merit.

SIU should think very carefully about its administrative decisions going forward; it’s never too late to ditch this ideological agenda and return its focus to educating the best possible physicians.