This week the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights entered a voluntary settlement agreement with Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) to end discrimination against its Jewish students. The settlement agreement resolves the joint investigation conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“Students of all ethnic and religious backgrounds – including Jewish students – should receive the same treatment at our nation’s universities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As its Jewish students prepare this week to observe Yom Kippur, we commend Lincoln Memorial University for its swift action addressing the Department’s concerns regarding discrimination and unequal treatment.”
“HHS’ Office for Civil Rights is committed to eliminating antisemitism and religious discrimination-a commitment we underscored earlier this month by issuing guidance on discrimination rooted in antisemitism to entities that receive HHS funding,” said Director Paula M. Stannard of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “Our nation’s future healthcare professionals should be able to pursue their training without compromising their faith or their civil rights. Through our joint action with the Department of Justice, Lincoln Memorial University is ending practices that penalized Jewish students and will establish clear protections for religious accommodations moving forward.”
The joint investigation revealed that during the 2025-26 school year, LMU’s DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) denied requests by Jewish students to reschedule classes, exams, and other academic assignments so they could celebrate or observe their religious holidays, but granted requests by non-Jewish students who sought the same accommodations. In January 2026 – after Jewish students challenged LMU-DCOM’s double standard – DCOM adopted a policy that it would not accommodate any religious observance requests, but would permit excused absences for “professional student leadership obligations” and other non-religious reasons. In February 2026, DOJ and HHS opened their joint investigation.
Under the settlement agreement, LMU-DCOM will revise its absence policy to allow excused absences for religious reasons on the same basis as non-religious reasons. When an excused absence is approved, the student will not suffer any penalties because of the absence. LMU-DCOM will also educate students, administrators, professors, faculty, and staff regarding the revised absence policy. Finally, LMU will reverse all penalties previously imposed on Jewish students who were wrongly denied religious accommodations during the 2025-26 school year.
Because of LMU’s cooperation, LMU will remain eligible for federal funding. The Civil Rights Division will close the investigation once LMU has completed its commitments under the settlement agreement.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov .