A scholarship reserved for students who “self-identify as an under-represented minority” has earned the Emory University School of Medicine a federal civil rights complaint that accuses the school of racial discrimination .

Do No Harm, a watchdog group that opposes “radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology” in the healthcare industry, filed the complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging that the Emory Urology Diversity and Equity Scholarship Program violates federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race.

The scholarship requires that “applicants must self-identify as an under-represented minority, and demonstrate commitment to a career in Urology. {snip}”

The scholarship specifically denotes “African American, Latinx, and/or Native American” as groups the institution considers to be “underrepresented.”

The complaint accuses the university of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which states that “no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

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In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, the board chairman of Do No Harm, said the scholarship is “illegal” {snip}

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Goldfarb said race-based programs at medical schools have become increasingly common but that most institutions enact them “without consulting their own lawyers,” who would likely inform them that such programs violate federal law.

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