Nation’s top chemistry group sued over race-based scholarship
By Kaelan Deese
March 5, 2025 10:45 am
EXCLUSIVE — The nation’s largest network for scientists and chemists is facing a legal challenge over a scholarship program that allegedly blocks students from applying based on race.
The American Chemical Society, or ACS, is facing a federal lawsuit claiming its ACS Scholars Program unlawfully excludes white and Asian students, reserving eligibility for “historically underrepresented” groups such as black, Hispanic, and Native American applicants. The complaint, filed in Washington D.C. federal court by the nonprofit organization Do No Harm, argues that the program violates the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
At the center of the lawsuit is a high-achieving high school senior who was instantly deemed ineligible after disclosing her multiracial background. Identified in the lawsuit as “Member A,” she holds a 4.34 GPA, a perfect ACT science score, and a 5 on the AP Chemistry exam. The lawsuit argues ACS shut her out solely because of her race.
Here's the text of the lawsuit. I'm probably too close to both the subject matter (college admissions) and the ACS to comment rationally, but suffice it to say that I am unimpressed with the lawsuit. I think that's the limit of what I have to say in public on the matter.
Nevertheless, a mission of this blog is to cover the American Chemical Society with a certain level of independence and to provide analysis. As an analytical matter, I don't see ACS being willing to put up with a lot of political pressure nor being willing to spend a lot of money on this. I'm not a lawyer, and so it will be interesting to see how far this gets in the courts.
What I will say is that proper math education will to more to lift up the disadvantaged than race-based programs that mostly reward the creamy layer. That's all.
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