The Department of Education launched an investigation into the internship program at a Chicago medical school that required applicants to submit photographs. This was in response to a Do No Harm complaint.
According to the website of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Department of Surgery, it offers “an annual Diversity in Surgery Sub-Internship program.” This four-week program is designed to encourage students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups to consider a career as a surgeon.
For the university to offer an annual internship, students must be African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
Laura Morgan, Do No Harm’s program manager, filed a complaint to the DOE in August 2022. She claimed that the university’s internship program discriminated against people of color in programs that receive federal financial aid, in violation of Title VI of Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Big Tech doesn’t want you to see these stories. You should receive our stories every day directly to your inbox.
Morgan claimed that internship requirements are illegally discriminatory against students applicants.
Morgan was contacted by Marcela Sanchez Aguilar on January 19th, the DOE’s supervisory lawyer. She stated that the DOE would investigate the university for civil rights violations.
A spokesperson for the DOE told Daily Caller News Foundation that the Office of Civil Rights could confirm that Loyola University-Stritch School of Medicine is under investigation. This was according to Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964. “We don’t comment on open investigations.”
Do No Harm senior fellow Mark Perry told the DCNF that Loyola University was illegally exclusioning and discriminating against certain medical student and depriving them of educational opportunities, mentorship, networking and scholarships on account of their race, colour, or national origin. These scholarships are only available to Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans.
Perry said that Do No Harm’s research revealed that almost every American medical school discriminates against students on the basis of their sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. Perry noted that more than 50 complaints had been filed by Do No Harm against U.S. schools of medicine in the past year.
The DCNF reported that Loyola University Chicago didn’t respond to a request for comments.
