Do No Harm v. Landry

Why This Matters:

The plaintiff alleges that a state law requiring the governor of Louisiana to ensure a racially diverse medical board violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.  The district court dismissed the case because the governor had demonstrated that he would not enforce the law and therefore was not the proper defendant. This appeal challenges the dismissal. Maintaining racial and ethnic diversity on professional licensing boards can lead to more equitable enforcement of licensure rules and otherwise eliminate barriers to entry for health professionals of color.

Potential Impact:

Limiting policymakers’ ability to formulate policies that promote the recruitment of a diverse workforce could hamper efforts to diversify such workforce, ultimately negatively impacting patient care and public health, especially for racial and ethnic minorities.