Lincoln Memorial University’s veterinary school lawsuit against the American Veterinary Medical Association is a federal antitrust case filed on June 18, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in which LMU asks the court to strip the AVMA of control over veterinary school accreditation. The university is not seeking money. It wants an injunction against what it calls anticompetitive accreditation standards and a “complete and total separation” of the AVMA’s Council on Education from the AVMA itself.1dvm360. Lincoln Memorial University Sues American Veterinary Medical Association The case, docketed as 3:25-cv-00282, is pending before Judge Thomas A. Varlan.
What LMU Is Alleging
LMU’s core claim is that the AVMA, acting through its Council on Education, holds a monopoly over veterinary school accreditation and uses it to impose “arbitrary, unreasonable, and impossible-to-meet requirements.” The complaint singles out mandates around research resources, facilities, and faculty that LMU says are unrelated to producing practice-ready veterinarians and financially out of reach for schools that depend on tuition revenue rather than state funding.2PR Newswire. Largest US Veterinary School Takes Legal Action to Protect Consumers and Their Pets
LMU President Jason McConnell framed the suit in consumer terms. The standards, he said, “limit the number of available veterinary schools, which limits the number of graduates, which limits the veterinary options for pet owners in America.”1dvm360. Lincoln Memorial University Sues American Veterinary Medical Association The university’s press release ties the argument to prices, noting that veterinary care costs have risen more than 60 percent since 2014.2PR Newswire. Largest US Veterinary School Takes Legal Action to Protect Consumers and Their Pets
The dispute also runs through how LMU trains students. The Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine uses a distributive clinical model, sending students to more than 240 outside veterinary practices for hands-on training instead of running an on-campus teaching hospital.3Lincoln Memorial University. Gillespie CVM Dedication LMU argues the AVMA’s research and facility standards effectively penalize schools that don’t follow the older, research-intensive model.
Why LMU Filed When It Did
The lawsuit followed accreditation trouble at LMU’s existing and planned campuses. In October 2024, the AVMA Council on Education placed the Gillespie College on probationary accreditation after a spring 2024 site visit, citing a major deficiency under Standard 10 (research program) and a minor deficiency under Standard 7 (admissions).4AVMA. Council on Education Accreditation Actions A probationary school has two years to correct deficiencies, with progress reports due every six months.5AVMA. Accredited Veterinary Colleges LMU says it took “immediate and urgent steps” to address the research finding, pointing to existing research centers and a partnership with the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.6Lincoln Memorial University. CVM Accreditation The Harrogate campus remains on probation.
LMU’s planned second campus in Orange Park, Florida, was initially described as facing “impending accreditation denial.”1dvm360. Lincoln Memorial University Sues American Veterinary Medical Association That picture shifted after the suit was filed. In late August 2025, the Council on Education granted the Florida site a “letter of reasonable assurance,” a designation meaning the program is expected to meet accreditation standards.7Lincoln Memorial University. LMU-CVM Orange Park The Florida Commission for Independent Education had separately licensed the campus in June 2025.8Lincoln Memorial University. Orange Park CVM Accreditation and Licensure
How the AVMA Has Responded
The AVMA moved to dismiss in September 2025. Its first argument is procedural: the case is “not ripe for adjudication” because LMU has not suffered the concrete harm an antitrust claim requires, and the Council on Education had not reached a final decision on the Florida campus when the complaint was filed.9VIN News Service. LMU v. AVMA Lawsuit Update
On the merits, the AVMA says that any restriction on who can practice veterinary medicine flows from state licensing laws, not from its accreditation standards. Dr. Jim Weisman, the AVMA’s chief of academic affairs, research, and accreditation, said the council’s standards are “applied solely to help ensure quality veterinary care” and “do not violate the antitrust laws in any way.” The AVMA also points to periodic recertification of the Council on Education by the U.S. Department of Education.10VIN News Service. DOJ Files Statement of Interest in LMU Lawsuit
The Justice Department’s Statement of Interest
In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest. The DOJ was explicit that it was “taking no position on the plaintiff’s claims.” What it did push back on was the AVMA’s immunity theory: the idea that federal recognition as an accreditor, or state reliance on AVMA accreditation for licensing, shields the association from antitrust scrutiny.11U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust Laws
The filing framed accreditation broadly. The DOJ noted that accreditors are often composed of “interested market participants” who set standards behind closed doors, creating an “inherent conflict of interest” when those same participants regulate entry to their own profession. Professional accreditation standards, it said, can “unnecessarily impede market entry, increase costs, stymie innovation, and otherwise harm Americans.”11U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust Laws Dina Kallay, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division, said the Department is “committed to supporting pet owners, livestock farmers, and aspiring veterinarians by ensuring that accreditation standards and procedures do not unnecessarily restrict competition in veterinary education and services.”12dvm360. Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in LMU Lawsuit
The filing also referenced a separate Federal Trade Commission proceeding in Texas involving the American Bar Association’s control over bar exam eligibility, signaling that the questions raised in the LMU case reach beyond veterinary medicine.10VIN News Service. DOJ Files Statement of Interest in LMU Lawsuit
Where the Case Stands
As of March 2026, the AVMA’s motion to dismiss remained pending before Judge Varlan. On March 25, 2026, Magistrate Judge Cynthia R. Wyrick granted a procedural motion for leave to file a document but issued no ruling on the substance of the case.13PACER Monitor. Lincoln Memorial University v. American Veterinary Medical Association No trial date or scheduling order has been publicly reported.
Why the Case Matters Beyond LMU
The AVMA’s Council on Education has been the only federally recognized accrediting body for veterinary colleges since 1952.14AVMA. COE Accreditation Policies and Procedures Nearly every state requires a degree from a COE-accredited school for licensure, so the council effectively controls entry to the profession. The council has 20 members, split evenly between AVMA and American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges appointees, with additional seats for public members and a Canadian representative.15AAVMC. Accreditation
The DOJ noted that despite population growth, the country held at roughly 34 accredited veterinary colleges for decades, a number that has only recently begun to expand.11U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust Laws A dozen or more institutions are now moving through the accreditation pipeline, including Clemson University, Lyon College, Rowan University, and Arkansas State University. If all succeed, the total could reach 45.16News from the States. How Clemson University Is Starting South Carolina’s First Veterinary School
That expansion runs alongside a documented workforce gap. The USDA in 2025 identified 243 rural veterinary shortage areas across 46 states, the highest count on record.17AVMA. USDA Announces Plan to Address Rural Federal Veterinary Shortages One industry projection estimates the country will need up to 55,000 additional companion animal veterinarians by 2030, with a shortfall of as many as 24,000 even after new graduates are counted.18Mars Veterinary Health. Tackling the Veterinary Professional Shortage More than 500 counties face shortages of food animal veterinarians.19Farm Journal Foundation. Veterinary Workforce Solutions Program Those numbers are the backdrop LMU is pointing to when it argues that accreditation barriers carry a public cost, and they are part of why the DOJ took an interest in a lawsuit brought by a single school.