New lawsuit challenges Minnesota’s racial quotas for state board

Minneapolis, MN; January 24, 2025: Today, Do No Harm, an association of medical professionals, filed a federal lawsuit challenging racial quotas for membership in the Minnesota Health Equity Advisory and Leadership (HEAL) Council.  

Public advisory boards for government agencies are common and typically help state agencies make informed decisions in implementing public policies and priorities. HEAL is no different, but there is an exception: its racial criteria. 

HEAL membership must include representation from specific racial groups, including African American and African heritage communities, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, Latina/o/x communities, and American Indian communities and Tribal governments. 

“Racial quotas deny public service opportunities to qualified professionals based solely on their race,” said Wilson Freeman, attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “That’s racial discrimination and it’s a clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.” 

There is no shortage of qualified Minnesotans who could serve on the board. This includes at least one member of Do No Harm, a diverse nonprofit organization of over 14,000 physicians, healthcare professionals, medical students, patients, and policymakers committed to ensuring equality in healthcare. 

“Patient care should never be sacrificed on the altar of identity politics, and state medical councils cannot properly safeguard public health when membership is based on the color of their skin over their medical expertise,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of Do No Harm. “This blatant racial discrimination is demeaning, patronizing, and unconstitutional. President Trump’s recent DEI executive order should motivate public officials to eliminate this type of racism.”

Pacific Legal Foundation is working to defeat race and sex quotas in Minnesota, and everywhere else the unconstitutional practice is required.  

The case is Do No Harm v. Cunningham and was filed in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota. Do No Harm is represented by Pacific Legal Foundation free-of-charge.