Federal judge dismisses Lincoln Memorial University's antitrust lawsuit against the AVMA

A federal judge has dismissed Lincoln Memorial University's (LMU) antitrust lawsuit against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), finding the veterinary school had not shown the kind of concrete, immediate injury needed to keep the case alive.

US District Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee issued the order on September 2, 2026, in Lincoln Memorial University v American Veterinary Medical Association, No. 3:25-cv-00282-TAV-CRW. The decision closes, at least for now, a challenge to the AVMA's position as the sole accreditor of veterinary colleges in the US.

Why the case was dismissed

LMU argued that the probationary accreditation status assigned to its College of Veterinary Medicine amounted to a group boycott that unreasonably restrained trade and carried no procompetitive justification. Varlan did not reach the merits of that theory. Instead, he concluded that the harm LMU described was too speculative to support the suit, noting that the AVMA had not issued a final decision revoking the school's accreditation and that the feared loss of accreditation may never come to pass.

The distinction matters for the veterinary profession watching the case: the ruling turns on timing and injury, not on whether the AVMA's accreditation standards are anticompetitive. If LMU later loses accreditation or sustains another concrete injury, the underlying antitrust questions could return to court.

Background

LMU filed suit on June 18, 2025, alleging the AVMA uses its Council on Education (COE) to restrict which institutions can obtain accreditation, artificially limiting the number of new veterinarians entering the workforce. The complaint singled out requirements for research facilities and faculty that the university argued are financially unfeasible for smaller programs and unnecessary to produce practice-ready graduates. LMU sought an injunction against those practices and a complete separation of the COE from the AVMA, but no monetary damages.

"This is the essence of an antitrust violation," Jason McConnell, LMU President, said at the time. "One economically interested group controlling the market to the detriment of consumers."

LMU operates the largest veterinary school in the country, with 225 students per class, and reports strong graduate test scores. At the time of filing, the program held probationary accreditation status, and its Orange Park, Florida, campus faced possible accreditation denial. Approximately 34 accredited veterinary colleges operate in the US, all of them accredited solely by the AVMA.

The dispute drew federal attention. On December 15, 2025, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a statement of interest arguing that veterinary accreditation standards must comply with antitrust law and that accreditors composed of market participants cannot "erect anticompetitive hurdles" to competition. The DOJ took no position on LMU's specific claims but warned that standards developed behind closed doors by market participants can block market entry, stifle innovation, and raise costs for pet owners and livestock producers.

"The Justice 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," Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay said.

Because the dismissal rests on the speculative nature of LMU's alleged injury rather than on the conduct at issue, it neither endorses nor rejects the concerns the DOJ raised about self-regulation by market participants. The questions the case put in front of the profession—how accreditation requirements shape the pipeline of new veterinarians, and who should set them—remain open.

References

1. Lincoln Memorial University v American Veterinary Medical Association, No. 3:25-cv-00282-TAV-CRW (ED Tenn September 2, 2026).
2. Lincoln Memorial University sues American Veterinary Medical Association. dvm360. June 18, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/lincoln-memorial-university-sues-american-veterinary-medical-association
3. US Department of Justice files statement of interest in LMU lawsuit. dvm360. December 15, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/justice-department-files-statement-of-interest-in-lmu-lawsuit