Student denied mental health access for being White

University of South Florida (USF) student Andrew Davis was denied access to the mental health help he sought because he was not part of the black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community, exclusive emails and documentation obtained by Campus Reform show.

After noticing that none of the "Understanding Self and Others" (USO) group therapy meetings worked with his schedule, Davis asked USF’s counseling center on Oct. 3 of 2022 if he could instead attend the BIPOC meeting since this worked with his schedule.

In the email sent to the counseling center, Davis inquired, “I am interested in attending a USO group meeting after completing the pre-group appointment but the only day/time that works for me is Wednesdays during the BIPOC students-only group. I am not a BIPOC student but was wondering if I would still be able to attend?”

“Unfortunately, we do need to keep this space specific to BIPOC folks ... Hopefully you’ll be able to catch another one either during Winter break and/or next semester," the USF Counseling Center responded to Davis.

After receiving this response, Davis filed a complaint with USF'S Office of Compliance & Ethics on Oct. 5. It was not until Feb. 8 of this year, however, that Davis received a response.