Students for Fair Admissions picks its next affirmative action target: US Naval Academy
Yet another top military academy is the target of a lawsuit challenging its use of race in its admissions process.
Students for Fair Admissions, the same group that has crusaded against affirmative action for years, filed a lawsuit Thursday in a federal court in Maryland alleging the U.S. Naval Academy is violating the constitution by considering applicants' races in admissions decisions.
Just a few weeks ago, SFFA brought a similar challenge in the Southern District of New York against the U.S. Military Academy, also known as West Point.
West Point sued over 'race-based admissions' by group behind Supreme Court lawsuit
Military academies exempted from Supreme Court ruling affecting other colleges
The litigation is an escalation of a new battle in the war to end race-conscious admissions completely. Along ideological lines, the Supreme Court outlawed the practice at most colleges and universities in late June. It was a decision that was largely expected from the majority-conservative justices.
Less expected was an exception detailed in a footnote in Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion that punted on whether race-conscious admissions should be acceptable at military schools. Roberts said at the time that race-based admissions programs “further compelling interests at our nation’s military academies.”
Supreme Court: Affirmative action ruling exempts military academies. But for how long?
In a statement, Ed Blum, the president of SFFA and a longtime critic of affirmative action, cited this summer’s Supreme Court decision as proof the Naval Academy’s admissions process is now out of its legal bounds.
“Over the past few decades, the Naval Academy has strayed from its former colorblind, merit-based admissions policies and now focuses on race and ethnicity – factors that do not contribute to the qualifications of applicants,” Blum said.
A spokesperson for the Naval Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zachary Schermele is a breaking news and education reporter for Paste BN. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.