Race-based hiring allegations lead RFK to pull millions from Duke under Trump DEI order
By Charles Creitz
Published July 29, 2025
FIRST ON FOX: Duke Health, the medical arm of Duke University in North Carolina, is seeing more than $100 million in federal funding frozen in compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting DEI practices.
In a letter to Duke President Vincent Price, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Adam Silver, and School of Medicine Dean Mary Klotman, Secretaries Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Linda McMahon outlined that racial preferences in hiring, student admissions, governance and patient care "betray" the mission of American health care and "endanger human lives."
"The United States invests in medical care and research because of the sacredness of human life and value of human health," the letter read.
"There is arguably no other area of our educational system where the rejection of merit is more dangerous than in medicine, where the competence of doctors means the difference between life and death for patients, and where scientific discovery is the difference between life-saving cures and the ravages of disease."
DEPT. OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO DUKE UNIVERSITY OVER ALLEGED RACIAL PREFERENCES
Kennedy and McMahon said their respective agencies have been investigating allegations that Duke Health's practices may be violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the ObamaCare law.
Therefore, the secretaries said, the situation "render[s] Duke Health unfit for any further financial relationship with the federal government."
A senior administration official told Fox News Digital the ultimate amount of the frozen funding is $108 million.
The Civil Rights Act code cited prohibits recipients of financial assistance from denying benefits or discriminating against individuals based on race, color or national origin.
The Affordable Care Act section cited extends health care protections for federal funding that forbid the aforementioned discrimination; adding the fields of disability, age and sex.
Duke Health allegedly engaged in "illegal and wrongful racial preferences and discriminatory activity in recruitment, student admissions, scholarships and financial aid, mentoring and enrichment programs, hiring, promotion, and more," according to Kennedy and McMahon.
TRUMP ADMIN PROBE ACCUSES HARVARD OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST JEWISH STUDENTS, THREATENS TO PULL ALL FUNDING
They called such racism "vile" and said it "hides behind a smug superiority" that "such [so-called] 'benefitted' races cannot compete under merit-based consideration."
"Affirmative action undermines America's commitment to merit-based justice and violates the nation's civil rights laws. In the medical context, this illegal preferencing also breaks faith with patients, hinders medical discovery, and jeopardizes human life and health."
The feds kept the door open to future partnerships with Duke, noting the school and hospital has long had a commitment to medical excellence and would prefer to see it "repair these problems."
In order to return to good standing, Duke Health must review all policies and procedures in terms of illegal use of race preference, take immediate action and provide verifiable assurances to Washington that the medical unit will operate in "good faith" oncemore.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"If the alleged offending policies, practices, and programs are found to exist and remain unrectified after six months, or if at any time the Merit and Civil Rights Committee and federal government reach an impasse, the federal government will commence enforcement proceedings as appropriate," the secretaries warned in closing.
Fox News Digital reached out to Duke via Price's office and also solicited comment from Silver via his day job as NBA commissioner. Print Close
URL
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hhs-pulls-millions-from-duke-under-trump-dei-order-alleging-race-based-hiring-health-arm
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Man 'wanted a cheeseburger' but French girlfriend made him eat healthy meals, he said
A French woman's homemade dinner sparked fury from her American boyfriend who wanted a burger instead, according to a viral post. The woman said she moved from France to the U.S. two years ago and has dealt with digestive issues since, according to her Reddit posting. "For some reason, the food here makes me sick," she wrote. "My body seems to struggle to digest it." "Whether it's takeout or fancy restaurant food … I can't go to the bathroom for days, or I'm violently vomiting," the woman added. The expat consulted medical professionals and, after multiple tests, was told that her body was probably "not used to the amount of salt and preservatives" in American food. After incorporating more whole foods into her diet, her health improved, she said. She wrote that she began meal-prepping and cooking meals from scratch. "My dad is actually a chef back home, so he was more than happy to send me some recipes to keep my diet interesting," she said. But one of her recipes – a "delicious" vegetarian lasagna made from scratch – caught the ire of her American partner. When he asked what was for dinner, the boyfriend "rolled his eyes" when he found out it was lasagna, the woman wrote. "[H]e was sick of 'that organic crap' and wanted a cheeseburger," she recounted. "The comment hurt." She said he told her that "it was unfair to 'make' him eat my diet." The woman also clarified that she intended no ill will toward Americans and said she enjoys living here – and those who shared comments mostly sided with her. "You are not responsible for feeding a grown man because he doesn't want to put in the effort," one of the top comments read. While most commenters supported her, some questioned whether the post was even real. "Because this totally happened, what in the world have you been eating since you've been in the U.S.?" one person questioned. "In today's America, it is not compulsory for the woman to cook her boyfriend or husband a meal every night." Carole Lieberman, M.D., a psychiatrist based in Beverly Hills, California, told Fox News Digital the Reddit poster appears to have "excellent taste in food, but bad taste in boyfriends." She added, "In today's America, it is not compulsory for the woman to cook her boyfriend or husband a meal every night – and certainly not a meal that the woman can't eat herself. Many couples share meal preparation duties and even enjoy it." Lieberman, who lived in France for years, also attested that the food is generally better than what most Americans eat. "The problem is that your boyfriend has come to expect home-cooked meals every night because you have spoiled him," she observed, speaking to the woman who shared her story. "He feels entitled to dictate the menu as well." "Perhaps you should remind him that there are many American men who would be delighted to have a French girlfriend cook for them." Lieberman encouraged the Redditor to reevaluate her relationship. "Perhaps you should remind him that there are many American men who would be delighted to have a French girlfriend cook for them, regardless of whether she's making vegetarian lasagna or veal escalope."
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
Workforce Reintegration: How A Trauma-Informed Approach Can Help
Maayan Aviv, CEO, American Friends of NATAL, is a nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience, driving impact in mental health treatment. When trauma hits, it impacts all parts of an individual's life, including career progression and professional identity. It creates disruption in the way people think and behave, which sends ripple effects through the workplace in addition to their personal lives. From a career standpoint, the impacts stretch beyond the individual suffering. It affects coworkers, colleagues and others. Three years ago, our parent organization created a career development model to help individuals coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) either return to the workforce or find their new professional pathway. Here's why I believe workforce reintegration should be trauma-informed: The Invisible Barrier: How Trauma Can Disrupt Career Pathways In the workplace, trauma often affects cognitive function, emotional regulation and motivation. I've seen how it can undermine traditional career development methods and cause loss of occupational identity, sleep deprivation, emotional and sensory dysregulation, negative thoughts and a break in trust and sense of safety. There are other signals that someone may be going through a trauma at work. A survey of participants enrolled in NATAL's vocational coaching program found that at the outset of coaching: • 58.6% struggled with procrastination or difficulty in self-organization and time management. • 57.5% experienced concentration difficulties. • 51.5% reported low motivation. • 48.6% experienced issues related to self-worth. Interestingly, almost half of the participants in our parent organization's program held higher education degrees. This showcases how PTSD symptoms can significantly impair work performance, even in high-potential individuals. Moreover, the skills gap isn't always about skills. Nearly 55% of individuals surveyed reported earning below the national average wage for their position, indicating that they're employed in positions that underutilize their skills. Almost half believe their current or most recent job doesn't reflect their actual capabilities. In other words, trauma survivors can have strong educational or technical backgrounds, and yet, they remain unemployed or underemployed. The challenge isn't a lack of qualifications, but the internal barriers caused by trauma. Trauma can hold survivors back from where they should be. From Healing To Hiring: Supporting Workforce Reintegration To approach career development from a trauma-informed perspective, a mentor is needed to help participants find the right career or focus on what they would like to do. Why? Because as they process their trauma, sometimes the symptoms can become more disruptive or different feelings rise up as a result of looking into the future. Career development counselors can give them the hope they need to realize that there's a lot they can do despite their trauma. Trauma-informed coaching can teach the individual to be aware of their triggers, emphasize their self-worth and skill set and help individuals set realistic goals and time frames. Importantly, it isn't therapy. It's a structured approach to vocational support that accounts for emotional and psychological realities. Look for a model that is: • Short-term, goal-oriented and trauma-informed. • Based on strengths and inner resources, including the potential for post-traumatic growth and discovering new meaning and a future-oriented career vision. • An ecological approach that not only asks what the organization can do but also what additional resources and supports exist that could aid in recovery and growth. • Evidence-based, while also promoting growth and hope. • Globally focused to account for a variety of perspectives. It's also important to consider your workplace. The post-pandemic workforce looks different than it did before, offering work-from-home opportunities with independence and flexibility. While these practices benefit many professionals, they can sometimes negatively impact those who need structure, framework and guidance. In fact, a study published in Psychology Today found that a structured return to work can significantly help with trauma recovery. Measuring Impact: Metrics That Matter In the United States, research indicates that veteran employment programs can be effective. In Israel, the Ministry of Defense and the National Insurance offer rehabilitation programs, but a study indicated they're not trauma-informed and more could be done to address the impact of PTSD on work functioning. Our parent organization's trauma-informed vocational coaching program in Israel, as noted in the study, found a sizable decrease in PTSD symptoms at the end of the program and a significant decrease in major symptoms, with the highest impacts in cognition changes and mood. About 60% of participants reported improvements in employment status or advancements in career planning, and a third reported an increase in income. Business leaders can track outcomes such as job placement or advancement, improvements in self-regulation and confidence and goal completion from individualized work plans. Continued engagement, such as opting into an extended mentorship program, can serve as an additional marker of long-term success and professional reintegration. Ultimately, trauma-informed vocational counseling should be based on safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, empowerment and choice. Trauma-informed approaches can prevent individuals from experiencing new traumas that may be caused by returning to work. Without a trauma-informed approach, workforce reintegration is difficult. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Fast Company
5 hours ago
- Fast Company
How AI can finally fix prior authorization
If you've ever been a patient waiting—days, sometimes more than a week—for treatment approval, or a clinician stuck chasing it, you know what prior authorization feels like. Patients sit in limbo, anxiety growing as care stalls. Nurses and physicians trade hours of patient time for phone calls, faxes, and glitchy portals. Everyone waits, some in pain, while the people on both sides of the system lose faith in it a little more each day. This isn't a minor inconvenience. According to the American Medical Association's (AMA) 2024 Prior Authorization Physician Survey, 93% of physicians report that prior authorization delays access to care, and 94% say it negatively affects patient outcomes. Physicians handle an average of nearly 40 requests each week, spending 13 hours of their time on the process. Nearly 9 out of 10 share that it's a contributing factor to burnout. We've been down this road for many years. In 2018, health insurer and provider groups signed a consensus statement promising significant improvement of prior authorization. In 2023, the AMA reported that two major insurers pledged to reduce the number of services needing prior authorization. The promises added up—so why hasn't the burden eased? Last month, AHIP (a national trade association representing the health insurance industry) and major payers rolled out six reforms standardizing electronic submissions, speeding decisions, improving transparency, and preserving continuity of care when members switch plans. More than 50 leading health plans, encompassing 257 million Americans, signed on to be a part of this reform with all commitments delivered by 2027. That's important. But for someone awaiting chemotherapy or a nurse on the ward, 2027 feels like forever away. No need to wait Real reform doesn't need to wait. Here's what's already happening inside health plans that have embraced agent‑based AI systems—technology is being put in place that's designed not just to speed up forms but to fundamentally change how prior authorization and other core operations get done. These systems don't replace people. They work alongside nurses, case managers, and administrators, handling the repetitive, document-heavy work so humans can focus on clinical decisions and patient care. Tangible results This AI is just beginning to be adopted by plans; the transformation is measurable: Turnaround times are slashed by more than 50%. 76% of authorizations are handled automatically. Eighteen minutes are saved per prior authorization request, which for an average-sized health plan unlocks tens of thousands of hours each month, that enables clinical care teams to shift from administrative work to greater focus on patients. AI can handle the tedious parts of the process—sorting through PDFs, faxes, and clinical notes—in seconds instead of hours, while keeping nurses and physicians involved for the decisions that require human judgment. Paradigm shift This isn't just a tweak to the old process—it's a shift that allows entire operations teams to work differently. Patients get quicker answers and fewer anxious phone calls. Providers get back more time to spend helping patients. For the people working behind the scenes, it means moving past the repetitive paperwork grind—hours spent sorting through forms, faxes, and files—and focusing on work that actually supports better care. AHIP's own language makes the case: these reforms are meant to provide faster access to evidence-based care, simplify workflows for providers, and preserve care continuity when people switch insurers. That should be the minimum standard—not a distant promise. Health plans need to act now—scaling existing AI deployments and embracing process redesign—so they can deliver three concrete outcomes today: Patients can start the treatments they need sooner, without the constant back‑and‑forth or long waits for approval. Doctors and nurses get back valuable time, so they can spend more of their day with patients instead of buried in forms and phone calls. People can keep their care moving, even if they switch insurance plans mid‑treatment, without having to start the approval process all over again. Within reach Health plans don't need to wait for 2027. The technology exists today to deliver meaningful prior authorization reform. And let's be honest: another round of press releases won't change outcomes. But scaling the results and impact that AI is delivering to prior authorization today—that's reform in motion. And it's within reach. For patients trapped in limbo and clinicians stretched thinner every day, reform can't arrive soon enough. The question isn't whether we can make prior authorization faster, simpler, and less needed. It's when health plans will act—for the sake of all those involved in our health system, we must choose urgency. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
