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Loyola ‘students of color’ program draws federal complaint

University has removed some video proof of program

An award-winning “students of color” nursing program at Loyola University Chicago is now the subject of a federal civil rights complaint.

The Jesuit Catholic university won an “Inclusive Excellence, Belonging, and Sustainability” award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

“One of the school’s signature efforts, the CARE Pathway to the BSN, provides support to students of color new to nursing school to facilitate baccalaureate degree-completion and overall student success,” the news release stated.

The “Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway” is an “investment in the future of nursing,” according to the university. “By helping students underrepresented in nursing succeed in college, the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is helping create a more diverse nursing workforce and ultimately better patient outcomes.”

It is supported with a $2.2 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

However, focusing on racial minorities may be illegal, according to Do No Harm, a medical reform group that opposes DEI.

The group shared with The College Fix a complaint filed soon after receiving a request for comment.

The complaint says Loyola is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding on the basis of race. “With significant funding from this grant, we will focus on recruiting Black and Latino students and faculty,” nursing school Dean Lorna Finnegan states on a university website.

A video about the program is no longer available on YouTube. However, The Fix found two other media reports (below) that include Loyola administrators talking about the program and its focus on “students of color.” Students, even illegal immigrant enrollees, can get a $9,000 stipend according to one video.

“In violation of Title VI, students or faculty who are not members of one of the designated racial/ethnic groups…are illegally excluded from the University’s ‘CARE Pathway to the BSN’ and illegally discriminated against on the basis of their race, color, and national origin,” the complaint states.

Laura Morgan, a nurse who works for Do No Harm and filed the complaint, provided further comments to The Fix.

“Discriminatory programs shouldn’t be allowed in any context; but least of all in the preparation of future nurses,” Morgan told The Fix via a media statement. “A nurse’s primary duty is to act as the patient’s advocate, without regard to his or her immutable characteristics.”

“There are certainly many more fruitful ways to support nursing education with federal dollars, rather than using taxpayer funds on initiatives that promote race-based discrimination,” Morgan said.

She pointed out that Loyola’s medical school revised a program last year after the Department of Education opened an investigation into its “Diversity is Surgery” internship.

“The School of Nursing’s financial support opportunities should be open to all students who are qualified to be admitted to the BSN program, regardless of race or ethnicity,” Morgan said further.

She also told The Fix the program appears to be based on the idea of “racial concordance,” which holds that patients do better when treated by providers of the same race.

She cited the YouTube link that has since been removed. “Studies have shown that people have better health outcomes when they are treated by people who look like them or who come from similar backgrounds,” Project Coordinator Janice Ortiz says in one video still available online.

However, “racial concordance” “is unsubstantiated by the actual evidence,” Morgan says.

“There are no pros to limiting eligibility for healthcare education programs to students of any skin color,” Morgan said. “Besides the obvious discrimination factor, the cons are that continuing to promote these kinds of programs in the name of ‘equity’ only serves to further the division of people along racial lines.”

The university’s nursing school and media relations team has not responded to requests for comment from The Fix about potential legal issues with the program. The Health Resources and Services Administration has also not responded in the past week.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing said it is “not in a position to advise on the legality of the federal program,” communications director Robert Rosseter told The Fix via email.

“The AACN understands that these grants are used to increase nursing educational opportunities,” Rosseter said. The nursing school group “is committed to achieving health equity. We remain committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where EVERY student, staff, and faculty member is valued, supported, and recognized.”

MORE: U. Illinois has 42 ‘illegal’ race, sex scholarships, complaint says

IMAGE: Loyola University Chicago

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About the Author
College Fix contributor Pedro Boccalato Rodriguez-Aparicio is a pre-law student at Florida State University. Since becoming a citizen in 2019, Pedro has aspired to pursue a career in American politics, law, and journalism.