After more than two years, the racial discrimination lawsuit against the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB), its then-president, Dr. Carol Winkler, and its then-immediate past president, Dr. Karlos Boghosian, concluded with no expected appeal.
The lawsuit was filed by Dr. Keita Vanterpool, who was then serving as FCLB vice president and director. After she was suspended by the FCLB for six months, Dr. Vanterpool filed the lawsuit, claiming breach of contract against the FCLB; violation of Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 against the FCLB, Drs. Winkler and Boghosian; and conspiracy to interfere with civil rights against Drs. Winkler and Boghosian. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Colorado on May 16, 2022.1
After months of discovery and filings, the court granted a motion to release Drs. Winkler and Boghosian as defendants in January 2024. The case went to a jury trial on July 8, 2024 and lasted four days. On July 12, 2024, the court found in favor of the FCLB on the remaining counts.
This is thought to be the first time a chiropractic organization has faced a racial discrimination allegation, and would have discredited the chiropractic profession in the United States had it been shown to be true.
Reference
- “FCLB Hit with Racial Discrimination Lawsuit.” Dynamic Chiropractic, July 2022.
