Hampton University School of Pharmacy (“HUSOP”) objects to the withdrawal of its accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (“ACPE”).  HUSOP internally appealed the matter before ACPE’s Appellate Commission, but received only a rubber-stamp affirmation of the ACPE Board’s action.

HUSOP believes that ACPE’s withdrawal was substantively wrong, procedurally flawed, and, ultimately, illegal.Hampton University has therefore filed a lawsuit against ACPE for withdrawing its accreditation on the grounds that ACPE’s arbitrary decision violates the basic tenets of substantive and procedural due process, and that its decision is premised on race discrimination and institutional bias against Hampton University. Based on this legal position, Hampton University finds the statement that ACPE requires of the institution to publish on its website to be categorically inaccurate.

ACPE’s decision was arbitrary and capricious by, among other things, conflating the structural requirements of its Progression Standard (Standard 17) with certain outcome benchmarks from ACPE’s Policies and Procedures. Furthermore, in a complete departure from established practices of retrospective data review, ACPE considered future cohort data as a primary justification for withdrawal. Finally, ACPE’s decision reflects bias, both racial and retaliatory based on HUSOP’s 2009 lawsuit against ACPE.

HUSOP is highly confident of the legal merits of its lawsuit.  Until such time as the federal action is resolved, HUSOP is implementing an ACPE-approved teach-out plan that will afford currently-enrolled students in the Classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023, the same rights and privileges as graduates from a program holding ACPE Accredited status.