Michigan Dentist Sues Gov Gretchen Whitmer’s Administration Over Mandatory ‘Implicit Bias Training’

Michigan dentist Kent Wildern has filed a lawsuit against Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, challenging the state’s mandate requiring health care professionals to complete ideological training to keep their licenses.

“It is unconstitutional for Michigan to weaponize its licensing powers to force healthcare professionals to choose between their careers and submitting to ideological indoctrination,” Wildern’s attorney, Wilson Freeman of the Pacific Legal Foundation, wrote in a Tuesday press release.

“Moreover, Michigan’s mandate for implicit bias training came from an unelected agency rather than the legislature, sidestepping any public debate on the issue,” the attorney added.

Wildern’s lawsuit comes as President Donald Trump ramps up his crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which he has called “illegal and immoral discrimination programs,” at the federal level. Trump has signed executive orders banning DEI programs across the federal bureaucracy and the military and has withheld millions in federal funding from a slew of universities for failing to abolish such programs.

The lawsuit targets a 2021 rule from Whitmer’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that requires more than 400,000 health care workers in Michigan to complete implicit bias training for both initial licensure and any renewal. New applicants must complete two hours of implicit bias training before receiving their licenses, while renewing licensees must complete one hour each year.

Since September 2024, the Whitmer administration has fined at least 132 health professionals nearly $76,000 for failing to comply with the mandate, the Pacific Legal Foundation’s press release states.

According to state guidance, the training must include, among other things, “information on implicit bias, equitable access to healthcare, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and cultural sensitivity.” Licensees must attest that they’ve completed the training and retain documentation for six years, and they may be audited by the state licensing department.

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