Tennessee governor signs bills ending racial quotas, moots federal lawsuits
May 29, 2025
Nashville, TN; May 29, 2025: In a major win for equality under the law, Governor Bill Lee has signed HB 1237 and SB 1084, legislation that removes discriminatory racial quotas from Tennessee’s medical licensing boards. As a result, Do No Harm — represented by Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) — is voluntarily dismissing two federal lawsuits challenging those discriminatory requirements.
“This victory makes it clear: Government cannot use race to decide who gets a seat at the table,” said Laura D’Agostino, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “Tennessee law forced public boards to make appointments based on applicants’ race. That’s not just wrong — it’s unconstitutional.”
The rescinded laws required considerations of race when appointing members to over 40 state boards and commissions, including: the Tennessee Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, Board of Medical Examiners, and the Board of Chiropractic Examiners — requirements that had nothing to do with qualifications for the positions.
PLF and Do No Harm filed two lawsuits — Do No Harm v. Lee and Do No Harm v. Lee II — challenging Tennessee’s unconstitutional requirement that the governor consider race when appointing interested and qualified individuals to state boards.
“This law change is not just a legal win — it’s a moral one,” said Caleb Trotter, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “It reinforces the principle that public service should be open to all Tennesseans on an equal footing, regardless of race.”
A 2023 PLF report, Public Service Denied, revealed that at least 25 states, including Tennessee, had codified race and sex quotas in their laws. With this legislative fix, Tennessee joins Arkansas, Montana, and South Carolina in rolling back those unconstitutional barriers in 2025.
Pacific Legal Foundation and Do No Harm remain committed to eliminating race- and sex-based quotas nationwide. Today’s outcome sends a powerful message to lawmakers nationwide: Discrimination has no place in public service.
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About Pacific Legal Foundation
Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court.