Wisconsin liberty group files lawsuit over MCW's race-based enrollment quota

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, on behalf of Citizens Defending Liberty, has filed a new lawsuit challenging a state-mandated quota at the Medical College of Wisconsin that requires at least 5% of its students to be minorities. WILL Deputy Counsel Rebecca Furde argued that linking substantial public funds to a race-based admissions rule forces the institution to engage in unconstitutional discrimination. The college stands to receive $14 million in state funding this fiscal year and $428 million in federal aid for fiscal 2025.

The case builds on a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that struck down a comparable race-based program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board. WILL has also pursued legal action against a minority teacher loan program, a supplier diversity initiative, and UW-Madison’s race-based scholarships. The lawsuit contends that the quota violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.