The U.S. Navy will begin defending its use of race as a factor in admissions selection at the Naval Academy on Monday after the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action and allowed an exception for the military academy.
Students for Fair Admissions, the same group that filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court seeking to end affirmative action, also filed suit against the Naval Academy after the Supreme Court's decision did not explicitly address race as a factor in admissions to the military academy.
The trial began Monday and is being heard in Baltimore without the aid of a jury by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.
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Chief Justice John Roberts said considering race in admissions would provide a “potentially disparate” benefit to the military academies.
The U.S. Navy will begin defending its use of race as a factor in admissions selection at the Naval Academy on Monday after the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action and allowed an exception for the military academy.
The Supreme Court's June 2023 ruling banned decades-old policies that favored Black, Hispanic and other minority students on U.S. college campuses. The case specifically concerned Harvard and the University of North Carolina, but applied broadly to nearly all universities except military academies.
Students for Fair Admissions, led by anti-affirmative action advocate Jason Blum, has argued that the ruling should apply to military academies as well, arguing that their policies are discriminatory and violate the equal protection principle of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
A separate lawsuit involving the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is underway in a New York court.
Cadets salute during a commissioning and graduation ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, May 24, 2024.
The Naval Academy asks applicants to identify their racial, ethnic and cultural background in their online application but says it only considers these factors in limited circumstances.
“Most candidates are not affected by racial considerations,” lawyers for the Naval Academy wrote in court documents.
Newly admitted 2028 class The class of about 1,200 students includes 642 white students, 178 Hispanic American, 132 Asian American, 70 African American and four Native American.
Chief Justice John Roberts said considering race in admissions would provide a “potentially disparate” benefit to the military academies. (AP Photo/Will Newton)
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“It is not necessary to conduct a statistical analysis to see what is clear,” the lawyers wrote. “Although the Naval Academy has made significant efforts over time to increase its representation of minority students, the number of minority students in each class, particularly the number of Black American and Hispanic students, falls far short of reflecting the racial and ethnic demographics of the nation.”
“Unlike civilian universities, USNA prepares its students for war,” the lawyers argue.
Lawyers say racial diversity is necessary for national security because it enhances the legitimacy of U.S. fighting forces to the world, strengthens cohesion and aids in recruiting.
Students for Fair Admissions argues that the academy “manipulates admissions results” to reflect the demographics of the U.S., unfairly disadvantageing white and Asian students.
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“There is no legitimate reason for the Academy to engage in race-based admissions practices,” the groups' lawyers wrote in court papers. “Such admissions practices are unconstitutional at all other public institutions of higher education.”
In December, Bennett denied a motion to temporarily bar the Naval Academy from considering racial issues while the lawsuit awaits trial.
