America First Legal (AFL) has announced a settlement with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Texas Tech) concerning the use of race in admissions decisions. The agreement concludes a lawsuit filed by AFL and co-counsel Jonathan Mitchell on January 10, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawsuit challenged the medical school's admission policy, alleging racial preferences that violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Despite Texas Tech's defense that its practices were lawful, statistical evidence suggested racial bias. Consequently, Texas Tech has committed to not considering race in its medical school admissions process.
Nick Barry, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, stated: “The Supreme Court of the United States made it clear that race cannot be a consideration in college admissions. It violates the student’s Fourteenth Amendment Constitutional right to equal protection. Divvying up Americans based on race only creates problems and solves none. All universities should take note of TTUHSC’s decision and do likewise.”