Robert Kennedy Jr. continues to shake up Washington with bold moves.
Democrats never expected this from him.
And Robert Kennedy Jr. just dropped a bombshell about race-based admissions that left Democrats stunned.
Kennedy’s HHS Takes Aim at DEI in Medical Schools
Robert Kennedy Jr. is making good on President Trump’s promise to eliminate DEI policies that have infected every corner of the federal government.
On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department’s Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” letter that puts medical schools on notice that race-based admissions policies violate federal law.
The move signals that Kennedy’s HHS is serious about implementing President Trump’s Executive Order 14173, which aims to end “Illegal Discrimination and Restore Merit-Based Opportunity” across the federal government.
“Today’s announcement protects students and patients by ensuring health care providers, and those in the health professions pipeline, are selected based on merit and clinical skills, not race,” said HHS Office for Civil Rights Acting Director Anthony Archeval.
The guidance clearly states that using race as a factor in admissions – whether explicitly or through supposedly “race-neutral” proxies – violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
“The use of race to provide preferential treatment in admissions, and other educational activities, to members of one group over another generally constitutes discrimination on the ground of race in violation of Title VI and Section 1557,” the letter states bluntly.
This follows the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down race-based college admissions programs in June 2023.
HHS Cracks Down on Deceptive Racial Practices
Democrats and DEI advocates are panicking as the guidance gets specific about what practices are now under federal scrutiny. Medical schools have been warned to:
- Stop using race-based criteria in admissions processes
- Discontinue tools or procedures that serve as substitutes for race
- End relationships with third-party contractors that engage in prohibited uses of race
- Remove DEI statement requirements for hiring or promotions
The letter specifically calls out institutions using deceptive practices to circumvent the law, stating: “Policies or procedures that explicitly distinguish among individuals on the basis of race, whether to benefit a ‘preferred race,’ to achieve a predetermined racial distribution, or for any other reason, are generally prohibited.”
The HHS Office for Civil Rights isn’t just issuing hollow warnings. The agency has already launched seven investigations into institutions suspected of violating federal civil rights laws.
The letter makes clear that OCR will prioritize investigations of institutions that continue to flout the law: “OCR will prioritize for investigation complaints against recipients that use race as a criterion for admission to an institution or program, against institutions that require diversity statements in connection with hiring or promotion, and against recipients that lack policies that demonstrate compliance with SFFA.”
For decades, Democrats have used diversity initiatives as cover for racial discrimination, claiming they were necessary to achieve “equity” in healthcare. But Kennedy’s HHS is making it clear that merit and excellence must be the priority when training the next generation of doctors.
Merit Over Race: Ensuring Quality Healthcare for All Americans
Medical school standards have become increasingly controversial in recent years. Reports of schools lowering standards based on race have raised concerns about the quality of care Americans will receive in the future.
The HHS guidance doesn’t mince words about this danger: “Race-based preferences in educational opportunities may have significant costs, as was described in SFFA: such as decreasing the quality of education, increasing division among Americans, and reducing the integrity and legitimacy of our institutions.”
The American Medical Association and other left-wing groups immediately criticized the move, claiming it would harm diversity in healthcare. But supporters argue that patients deserve the most qualified doctors regardless of race, and that true equality means judging students on their academic achievements rather than skin color.
This guidance is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle DEI programs throughout the federal government. Within days of taking office, President Trump signed an executive order terminating DEI in the federal workforce and federal contracting.
The order states: “Every man and woman should have the opportunity to go as far as their hard work, individual initiative, and competence can take them. In America, excellence, grit, and determination is our strength.”
Kennedy’s HHS is now operationalizing that vision, much to the dismay of progressive activists who have spent years implementing race-conscious policies throughout the healthcare system.
Medical schools will now need to demonstrate compliance with federal civil rights laws or risk losing federal funding. The office has created a dedicated complaint portal for individuals who believe they’ve faced discrimination from these institutions.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, HHS appears committed to ensuring that talent and ability – not immutable characteristics like race – determine who becomes tomorrow’s doctors and healthcare leaders.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
