Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) has filed a lawsuit against Louisiana's racial quota on the state medical board on behalf of Do No Harm, an organization of more than 6,000 medical professionals, students, policy makers, and members of the general public who are dedicated to eliminating racial discrimination in healthcare.
"Do No Harm has members that would like to serve on the Board of Medical Examiners in Louisiana, but they would be precluded from being considered for the next upcoming openings because of their race," explains attorney Laura D'Agostino.
She asserts this is not just an issue in Louisiana.
"We put together a report called Public Service Denied," the attorney notes. "We highlight several states that have similar types of race- or gender-based quotas that discriminate against people and preclude people from applying depending on how a board may be balanced in a specific election cycle or appointment cycle."
D'Agostino says it is inappropriate for any government body to disregard people as individuals or dictate who can or cannot serve in a certain capacity because of his or her skin color or sex.
"It is immoral, and, above all else, it is unconstitutional, and it should not be happening in this country," she adds. "I think that everyone should be paying attention to these types of cases."
The case, Do No Harm v. John Bel Edwards, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, is expected to be heard within the next two to three months. PLF sees it is an opportunity to impact things on a broader scale.
