Do No Harm v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al.

On March 30, 2026, Do No Harm filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for its administration of a racially discriminatory scholarship, the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP).

Designed for students pursuing certain healthcare careers, this lucrative scholarship pays tuition, provides a monthly stipend for living expenses, and covers other school-related costs. In exchange, recipients agree to provide healthcare services in Hawaii for a couple of years following graduation.

However, since 1992, Congress has instructed that the program operate for the purpose of providing scholarship assistance to students who are “Native Hawaiians.”  Applicants must attest to and prove their Native Hawaiian ancestry. If they don’t check this racial box, they are foreclosed from even submitting an application.

Because the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee bars the federal government from discriminating based on race or ethnicity, this case seeks to ensure an end to the government’s blatantly illegal discrimination in the operation of this scholarship.