Kevin Bass, a PhD and MS graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), has publicly alleged that Dr. Felix Morales, the institution's Dean of Admissions, informed him he would not be admitted due to being a white male. Furthermore, Bass claims that Dr. Morales was a member of the board responsible for his subsequent dismissal from the medical school. The allegations were made in a recent social media post by Bass.
"The dean of admissions that I was dismissed from, Texas Tech, told this (now) doctor that he wasn't getting into Tech because he was a white male. It just so happens that Dr. Morales was on the board that voted for my dismissal," Bass stated in his tweet.
Dr. Felix Morales currently serves as the Associate Dean of Admissions and Diversity for the TTUHSC School of Medicine, a position he has held since April 2017. Public records indicate that TTUHSC, under pressure from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, agreed in 2019 to cease considering race as a factor in its medical school admissions process. This policy shift followed an investigation into the university's admissions practices.
Bass's dismissal from the medical school has been a subject of controversy. He asserts that his removal was a direct consequence of his public criticism of the COVID-19 response. Conversely, some online discussions and reports suggest that the dismissal stemmed from "professionalism issues," though Bass maintains he was denied due process and that the institution sought to remove him. He had previously completed his PhD and MS degrees at the same institution.
The serious allegations of racial discrimination in admissions and a conflict of interest regarding his dismissal have not been publicly addressed by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center or Dr. Morales directly. The university's official stance on such specific claims remains unclarified, leaving Bass's allegations as a central point of contention in the ongoing dispute.