Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in Harrogate, TN, has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), accusing the group and its members of conspiring to restrict competition in veterinary education and service markets by targeting LMU’s veterinary program.
In the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, LMU claims that AVMA and its Council on Education (COE) have “acted in concert” to exclude LMU from the veterinary education market. The university asserts this effort is part of a larger conspiracy “to restrain trade, eliminate competition, reduce output, and raise prices” in both veterinary education and professional veterinary care. According to the filing, the AVMA’s actions hurt consumers by limiting the supply of veterinarians during a national shortage.
“The AVMA’s members have engaged in a conspiracy to control, manipulate, and reduce new competition,” the lawsuit states, accusing the association of enforcing arbitrary research-related requirements.
The lawsuit asserts that the AVMA, through its Council on Education, is restricting accreditation for new and existing veterinary schools by imposing arbitrary and unreasonable requirements unrelated to the basic quality of veterinary education. These include, for the first time, demands for access to an undefined level of research faculty, curricula, facilities, grants and graduate student interaction—standards the lawsuit describes as “impossible-to-meet.”
“These insurmountable barriers to entry for new veterinary schools limit the number of available veterinary schools, which limits the number of graduates, which limits the veterinary options for pet owners in America,” said Jason McConnell, LMU president. “This is the essence of an antitrust violation. One economically interested group controlling the market to the detriment of consumers.”
LMU states in the suit that its College of Veterinary Medicine, the largest by student body in the U.S., was placed on probation in October 2024, despite previously being in full compliance with accreditation standards. The complaint alleges that this status change came only after LMU received approval to expand its enrollment and after the AVMA publicly expressed concern over a growing number of veterinary schools entering the market.
“The AVMA’s shift signals a clear strategy to suppress competition,” LMU claims, noting that the probation is likely a precursor to full accreditation termination.
According to the Veterinary Information Network, no U.S. veterinary school on probation has lost its accreditation in recent memory. The AVMA Council on Education outlines its accreditation process in a 214-page document, which includes 11 minimum standards schools must meet. These standards cover areas such as clinical resources, facilities, finances, student outcomes and research. LMU’s veterinary school was placed on probation in October due to a “major deficiency” in its research program and a “minor deficiency” in admissions. Under AVMA policy, schools have two years to correct major deficiencies before facing possible termination of accreditation.
The lawsuit also challenges AVMA’s opposition to the university’s planned second veterinary school campus in Orange Park, FL. The AVMA has already identified alleged deficiencies with the new campus, again tied to the university’s inability to meet inflated research expectations. LMU contends these requirements are designed to ensure that newer, tuition-driven institutions without significant research funding are effectively blocked from market entry.
Ultimately, LMU argues that the AVMA’s conduct sends a chilling signal to all potential veterinary school entrants. Without significant financial backing and existing research infrastructure, accreditation and market entry will be denied. The suit claims the AVMA has even “openly acknowledged” its intent to restrict output in the education and veterinary services markets to keep prices artificially high.
LMU is asking the court to intervene before its program and others like it are entirely excluded from the industry. The lawsuit asks the court to require a complete separation between the AVMA and its Council on Education, creating a new, independent accreditation body free from conflicting economic interests. It also seeks to prevent the AVMA from enforcing accreditation standards in an arbitrary or inconsistent manner, particularly concerning research requirements. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
