Judicial Group Files FOIA Lawsuit Over West Point Bible Documents

A conservative watchdog group is taking legal action to obtain documents from the Intelligence Bureau concerning the US military academy at West Point, particularly related to its association with the Bible and the Cadet Chapel.

Judicial Watch had initially requested these records in December 2024. This request was motivated by concerns from the MacArthur Association, an alumni group advocating against what they see as increasing politicization within the Biblical Studies Department.

The original request pointed out that West Point Crest had been part of the Bible cover at the Cadet Chapel since 1984, but was removed around December 2024. The reasons for this change remain unclear, and there are worries that West Point is distancing itself from what some deem “traditional values.”

Instances of mixing religious elements with military affairs have sparked criticism before. For instance, the Freedom Foundation of Military Religion raised flags in 2012 regarding the Holman Christian Standard Bible Military Series sold in military exchanges, suggesting it implied that the Bible was the official text for the armed forces.

The variations of West Point Crest typically showcase an eagle atop its mascot, the Black Knights.

A spokesman from West Point stated that the Bible currently in use at the Cadet Chapel lists the names of the academy’s members, but there has been no further comment regarding the ongoing lawsuit from the Department of Defense.

Judicial Watch’s lawsuit follows the responses to their initial record requests, with President Tom Fitton suggesting that this is part of a broader agenda by the Biden administration to sever ties with traditional values. He criticized the academy’s recent addition of a DEI program to its curriculum and the removal of the famed motto “duty, honor, country” from its mission statement, further questioning why the Bible itself was not taken down.

This scrutiny isn’t the first for West Point, as similar concerns have arisen in the past. Back in May, Judicial Watch accused the academy of attempting to obscure its mission by altering it from “duty, honor, country” to “army values” in what they claimed was an advancement of the DEI agenda.

Interestingly, the mission statement of West Point has undergone nine revisions over the past century, and “duty, honor, country” wasn’t officially adopted until 1998. When inquiries were made about the changes earlier this year, a representative referred to the original announcement by Lt. Gen. Steven Giland, the West Point coach.

As one of several military academies in the US, West Point continues to navigate these changing dynamics in its mission and values.