Lawsuit filed against Gov. Edwards claims racial discrimination in medical board appointments

SHREVEPORT, La. (KNOE) – Medical watchdog group Do No Harm filed a lawsuit on Jan. 4 against Governor John Bel Edwards accusing him of what they say are unlawful racial mandates.

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is in charge of ensuring doctors in the state meet high standards of professionalism and healthcare practices. Physicians on the board must have been licensed for at least five years and have lived in Louisiana for at least six months. The lawsuit filed by Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of Do No Harm alleges the governor must also take race into consideration when appointing board members.

Louisiana Revised Statutes 37:1263, section B, says every other appointed member from each list submitted “shall be a minority appointee.”

Do No Harm says this is a racial mandate and claims it’s a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Chairman of Do No Harm Dr. Stanley Goldfarb says appointing physicians based on race contradicts the purpose of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.

“This type of discriminatory mandate is not only unconstitutional, but also reflects the politicization of healthcare that is dangerous for patients and physicians,” Goldfarb says. “Expertise should be the determining factor, and Louisiana must get rid of discriminatory practices to refocus on medical excellence.”

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division.

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