Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Beijing, September 16 (Xinhua) on September 15, a group opposed to the "radical, divisive and discriminatory ideology" of the medical industry sued Pfizer, alleging that its scholarships illegally excluded white and Asian applicants.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, the group said Pfizer's scholarship program was discriminatory because only blacks, Hispanics and Indians could apply. It says the scholarship program violates federal, New York and New York City civil rights laws, as well as federal bans on racial discrimination by companies involved in government health-care reimbursement programs.

The lawsuit calls for an injunction prohibiting Pfizer from using race as a condition for scholarship and preventing the company from continuing its 2023 scholarship program in accordance with existing rules. It also asked Pfizer for $1 in damages.

In response, Pfizer said in a statement that it had not reviewed the lawsuit but was "fully confident" that the scholarship program complied with all US employment laws. It added: "We will continue to work hard to create more opportunities and will spread the net to recruit talent through a special project."

The group did not immediately respond. It is understood that the group is headquartered in Virginia and its members include doctors, other medical professionals, medical students, patients and policy makers.

Pfizer says the scholarship program is part of a nine-year commitment to increase the number of minority representatives, and the company aims to recruit 100 scholarships by 2025. After graduating from college, students can get a two-year job, a master's degree funded by a full scholarship, and can stay at Pfizer after completing the program.

Albert Bourla, Pfizer's chief executive, said in a statement on his website that the plan would help "achieve equality and create a vibrant culture that gives every colleague a chance to succeed."

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.