UCSF children's hospital sued for race-based discrimination used in high school internship admissions

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Children’s Hospital is facing a federal lawsuit from the Pacific Legal Foundation over its Community Health and Adolescent Mentoring Program for Success (CHAMPS). The high school internship program has come under scrutiny for allegedly excluding applicants based on race.

The organization officially filed the federal lawsuit on Feb. 11.

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Established in 2000, CHAMPS was designed for “minority high school students interested in health professions” by providing them with a three-year internship. 

G.H., the initials used in the lawsuit to maintain anonymity of a minor, is represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which is challenging the program’s race-based eligibility. The group alleges that CHAMPS violates both California’s anti-affirmative action law, as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Despite its competitive nature and demanding academic requirements, the program excludes applicants based on race, according to the Pacific Legal Foundation. 

“Only students from UCSF Health’s preferred racial groups are eligible to apply,” the group writes. “Other students are explicitly excluded.”

“UCSF Benioff rejected G.H. because she was not the right race for the CHAMPS internship,” the lawsuit states. “G.H.’s impressive background, high GPA, and passion for helping others through healthcare made her a strong candidate for the internship, but UCSF Benioff’s race-conscious admissions meant it could not even consider G.H.’s qualifications.”

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“G.H. would have been accepted and admitted to CHAMPS but for UCSF Benioff’s race-based admissions policy,” the document continues.

“Equal opportunity means exactly that: Every student should have the chance to compete for programs like CHAMPS based on merit, not their skin color,” Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Andrew Quinio says. “Students who dream of a medical career should not be excluded because of their race. UCSF can create opportunities to inspire future healthcare leaders, but it cannot use race to decide who participates.”

Campus Reform has contacted UCSF for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.