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US Naval Academy Ends Race-Based Admissions Policy
The United States Naval Academy has revised its admissions protocols, eliminating race as a consideration for prospective students. This policy shift comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in civilian higher education, although the Naval Academy had previously maintained race-conscious admissions standards.
Policy Change Details Emerge in Court Filing
The policy modification was outlined by the previous administration in a recent court filing. This filing requests the suspension of an appeal from a group opposing affirmative action. The group is challenging a prior judicial decision that upheld the Naval Academy’s admissions practices in Annapolis, Maryland.
Executive Order and Military Guidance Prompt Shift
Former President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January, shortly after assuming office, which dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the military.
Subsequently, the defense secretary issued directives prohibiting the military from setting goals based on sex, race, or ethnicity for organizational makeup, academic enrollment, or specific career paths.
Naval Academy Superintendent Implements New Directives
Following these directives, Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Yvette Davids issued updated guidance. This new guidance prohibits the consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex in the academy’s admissions process, as confirmed by the Justice Department.
Legal Challenges and Broader Implications
The Justice Department indicated that this policy alteration could impact the ongoing lawsuit filed by Students for Fair Admissions. This organization, founded by Edward Blum, a known opponent of affirmative action, has challenged race-conscious admissions at various military academies.
Students for Fair Admissions previously achieved a victory at the Supreme Court in June 2023. The court’s conservative majority invalidated affirmative action policies used by universities to increase enrollment of underrepresented minority students.
Supreme Court Ruling and Military Academy Distinction
While the Supreme Court ruling impacted civilian universities like Harvard and the University of North Carolina, it notably did not explicitly address military academies’ admissions policies. Chief Justice John Roberts acknowledged “potentially distinct interests” for military institutions in considering race in admissions.
Despite this distinction, Students for Fair Admissions initiated multiple lawsuits targeting the military school exemption after the Supreme Court decision. The lawsuit against the Naval Academy was the first to reach the trial phase.
Previous Court Decision Initially Upheld Naval Academy Policy
In the initial legal proceedings, a federal judge in Baltimore, Richard Bennett, ruled in favor of the then administration. Judge Bennett determined that the Naval Academy’s race-conscious admissions policy was constitutional at that time.