Do No Harm Sues Michigan Law Firm for Racially Discriminatory Scholarships

Richmond, VA; November 14 – Today, Do No Harm and the American Alliance for Equal Rights (the Alliance) filed a lawsuit against the Michigan law firm, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., for operating two racially discriminatory scholarship programs.

Recently, the law firm rejected scholarship applications submitted by student members of Do No Harm and the Alliance, opting instead to make awards to individuals identifying as racial minorities. The lawsuit alleges that Buckfire’s scholarships violate Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which bans racial discrimination in contracting by public and private actors.

“Racial discrimination has no place in healthcare – especially when it comes to training tomorrow’s physicians,” said Stanley Goldfarb, MD, Chairman of Do No Harm. “Students who demonstrate the highest levels of medical knowledge and expertise should be rewarded for their merit, as opposed to elevating candidates based on immutable characteristics with no bearing on qualifications. It is particularly egregious to see such a violation from a law firm, which directly violates their code of conduct and professional obligations. We are confident that the District Court will put an end to this facially discriminatory behavior. Do No Harm remains committed to rooting out divisive identity politics from medicine wherever it rears its ugly head.”

“This racially exclusive scholarship is illegal. The fact that a law firm is flagrantly discriminating against certain individuals because of their race is flabbergasting,” said Edward Blum, President of the American Alliance for Equal Rights. “The goal of this lawsuit is not to eliminate Buckfire’s scholarships but to ensure they are based on legitimate criteria, such as financial need or merit, rather than race. There are many deserving students from all races and ethnicities who need help affording law and medical school. Excluding some of them because of their race is unfair and unlawful.”

Background:

• The programs in question are the “Medical Diversity Scholarship” and the “Law School Diversity Scholarship,” both of which award a $2,000 scholarship to one recipient each year.
• The scholarships require applicants to be “a member of an ethnic, racial, or other minority”; otherwise, applicants must  “demonstrate[] a defined commitment to issues of diversity within their community.” The application also involves completing an online form and submitting a “one-page typed essay describing how you have utilized your time promoting ethnic diversity within your community.”
• The Buckfire law firm has operated its racially discriminatory program since 2014, despite mandated professional and ethical rules that hold lawyers to a high bar to “assur[e] equal treatment for all.” Over this decade-plus period, Buckfire has awarded scholarships to 25 students. None were white.

Read the full complaint here.

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Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. It has over 50,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries.