Source: PR Newswire
Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), alleging it unfairly restricts competition in Veterinary education. LMU claims the AVMA, through its Council on Education, imposes arbitrary and burdensome accreditation standards that limit the number of accredited Veterinary schools and, consequently, the number of new veterinarians. This, LMU argues, harms pet and livestock owners by reducing access to affordable Veterinary care amid a national vet shortage.
The university’s Veterinary school, which enrolls the nation’s largest class of 225 students, has been placed on probation and faces potential denial of accreditation for a second campus. LMU asserts these standards, including unnecessary research requirements, are economically unattainable for tuition-funded institutions. The lawsuit seeks no monetary damages but demands an injunction to end the AVMA’s allegedly anticompetitive practices and calls for the separation of the AVMA’s accrediting body from the trade association to restore fair market competition.