Thursday, August 14, 2025 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm EDT
Across America, universities are using “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies to silence faculty who question racial preferences in admissions or hiring. Even medical schools—institutions that should prioritize merit and patient care above all else—are punishing professors who speak out against discriminatory practices that compromise medical education and patient outcomes.
Please join the Center for Individual Rights for a lively discussion featuring Dr. Norman Wang, a respected cardiologist who was removed as director of a fellowship program, prohibited from having contact with medical students, residents, and fellows, and publicly branded a “racist” for publishing peer-reviewed research criticizing racial preferences in medical education and medical residency programs.
CIR is proudly representing Dr. Wang in his lawsuit arguing that the University of Pittsburgh and its officials violated Dr. Wang’s First Amendment rights and illegally retaliated against him for his civil-rights complaints. The case is now before the federal appeals court in Philadelphia. His courageous legal battle, Wang v. University of Pittsburgh, exposes how far academic institutions will go to enforce ideological conformity—and what it takes to fight back.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Norman Wang
Dr. Wang is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a board-certified cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and specializes in cardiovascular implantable electronic devices and procedures that correct irregular heart rhythms.
J. Robert Renner
Renner is CIR’s Deputy General Counsel and lead counsel for Dr. Wang in his First Amendment and civil rights retaliation lawsuit. A veteran litigator, he previously served as Deputy Attorney General in California and spent more than 20 years in private practice specializing in commercial disputes and product-liability defense.
Greg Greubel
Greubel is a Senior Attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. He has argued cases nationwide and brings insight into the cultural and legal climate confronting public discourse in higher education.
Moderator: Darpana Sheth
Sheth is CIR’s General Counsel. Former Vice President of Litigation at FIRE and Senior Attorney at the Institute for Justice, she has over 20 years of experience defending constitutional rights nationwide.