The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently opened investigations into Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland over alleged discrimination at the two institutions.
The OCR’s letters announcing the investigations were obtained by National Review and are dated March 10.
According to the Johns Hopkins letter, OCR received a complaint that contained “five specific examples of sex and/or race discrimination” at the school, including a “Diversity Clerkship” and “Diversity Scholarship.”
As described in the letter about Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, OCR received a complaint about multiple internships designed just for “Minority Students”; The children’s hospital is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati Health.
“OCR is responsible for investigating complaints of discrimination against recipients of Federal financial assistance (FFA) through HHS and for ensuring the compliance of those recipients with various civil rights regulations that OCR enforces,” both letters explain.
“Title VI prohibits prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin,” the notices continue. “Section 1557 also prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in any health program or activity that receives FFA from HHS. Therefore, OCR will initiate an investigation.”
The complaints were filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, reported National Review.
“There are a lot of people in need, and looking at their skin color to make determinations about what somebody deserves or needs is not the way that we need to be running medical education programs,” Associate Counsel Cara Tolliver told the outlet about the complaints.
“They just need to be helping patients who are at a risk for stroke,” she continued, “not looking at their skin color and saying, ‘We think you’re at a risk for stroke or not,’” Tolliver continued.
Campus Reform reported last year that Republicans in Congress introduced new legislation to try to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and policies in medical schools.
The proposed bill was called the Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act; Its purpose was to “ban race-based mandates at medical schools and accrediting institutions.”
Last year, Western Michigan University (WMU) removed a scholarship after the anti-DEI group, Do No Harm, launched a complaint against the school. During an OCR investigation into WMU, the university decided to eliminate the allegedly discriminatory scholarship altogether.
Campus Reform has contacted Johns Hopkins University and the University of Cincinnati for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
Patrick McDonald is a student at Hillsdale College pursuing a major in History and a minor in Politics. He competes full-time on the Hillsdale College Mock Trial team and the Hillsdale College Debate team. In high school, Patrick competed in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA) in 13 different speech and debate events. He won numerous awards, including four national championships. Patrick also competed…
