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Veterinary Accreditor Defeats Antitrust Challenge From Tennessee University

By  |  September 3, 2026
Veterinary Accreditor Defeats Antitrust Challenge From Tennessee University

A federal judge has rejected antitrust claims against the American Veterinary Medical Association stemming from a Tennessee university’s dispute over the accreditation of its veterinary school, concluding that the alleged threat of harm was too speculative, according to Bloomberg Law.

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    Lincoln Memorial University had accused the association of improperly restricting competition after its College of Veterinary Medicine was placed on probationary accreditation status, Bloomberg Law reported Sept. 2. The university contended that the accreditor’s actions caused financial and reputational damage and threatened its position in the veterinary education market.

    The lawsuit, filed in 2025, characterized the application of the association’s accreditation standards as an unlawful group boycott without sufficient procompetitive justification, according to Bloomberg Law’s reporting.

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    The American Veterinary Medical Association, which plays a central role in accrediting veterinary education programs, challenged the university’s antitrust allegations. The federal court ultimately sided with the association, finding that the threatened injury underlying Lincoln Memorial’s claims was not sufficiently concrete, Bloomberg Law reported.

    Read more: FTC Scrutinizes Proposed $3.5 Billion Veterinary Products Merger

    The dispute centered on the competitive implications of accreditation decisions in veterinary education. Accreditation can carry significant consequences for universities because a program’s status can affect its reputation and ability to attract students.

    Lincoln Memorial argued that being placed on probation caused substantial economic and reputational consequences. But the record developed after the lawsuit was filed undermined the university’s effort to establish the type of threatened harm necessary to sustain its antitrust case, according to Bloomberg Law.

    The ruling leaves the American Veterinary Medical Association free of the antitrust claims raised in the case.

    This article is based on reporting by Katie Arcieri of Bloomberg Law in “Veterinarian School Accreditor Ducks College’s Boycott Lawsuit,” published Sept. 2, 2026.

    Source: Bloomberg Law