Group suing Pfizer over alleged anti-Asian, anti-white program loses appeal
By Carl Samson
The Virginia-based nonprofit accusing Pfizer of discriminating against Asian and white applicants for a coveted fellowship program has lost its appeal in court this week.
Catch up: Do No Harm, a group composed of medical professionals, sued Pfizer in September 2022 over the company’s Breakthrough Fellowship Program, a nine-year stint that aims to increase “the pipeline for Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native Americans” in its workforce. The suit alleged that Pfizer had violated federal and state laws against racial discrimination.
Decision: U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan tossed the suit in December 2022. In her ruling, she noted that Do No Harm failed to demonstrate a legal standing and that it cannot seek an injunction as it would not identify its plaintiffs. On Wednesday, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, also in Manhattan, echoed the decision, as per Reuters.
What Do No Harm is saying: The nonprofit reportedly aims to seek further appellate review. It said the decision “departs from established precedent and makes it unduly hard for organizations to vindicate civil rights.”
What Pfizer is saying: Pfizer, for its part, has repeatedly described itself as an “equal opportunity employer.” The company has reportedly amended the fellowship program’s criteria, allowing everyone to apply.
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