The U.S. Naval Academy wants to keep considering race when admitting new trainees at its officer training school. Attorneys in an ongoing civil trial in Maryland said that it helps ensure a diverse military and garner respect, according to AP News.
Military academies were exempt from complying with the Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in June 2023. The ruling made it so that higher education institutions may no longer consider race during the admissions process. Advocates for affirmative action argued that it ensured a diverse student population.
Students for Fair Admissions, a group founded by conservative activist Edward Blum and behind the lawsuit challenging affirmative action, has filed a lawsuit against the Annapolis-based Naval Academy. It is challenging the exemption for military academies. The trial started last week in Baltimore federal court.
“For most of its history, the Academy has evaluated midshipmen based on merit and achievement,” attorneys for Students for Fair Admissions wrote, according to the AP. “For good reasons: America’s enemies do not fight differently based on the race of the commanding officer opposing them, sailors must follow orders without regard to the skin color of those giving them, and battlefield realities apply equally to all sailors regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
Capt. Jason Birch, a former Navy SEAL commander currently serving on the admissions board, said diversity sets an example for younger generations — noting that “regardless of your background, regardless of what you look like, you’ll be put in a position of command and responsibility.”
He also noted that diversity in the military has also played a role and helped gain respect during overseas assignments involving foreign leaders from countries such as Somalia and China.
“For decades, senior military leaders have concluded that the fighting force is stronger when it is racially and otherwise diverse at all levels,” attorneys representing the U.S. Naval Academy wrote in court papers. “The Armed Forces learned this lesson the hard way.”
They added that it highlighted past “internal racial strife that has risked mission readiness since its inception.”
Race is sometimes taken into consideration during admissions, but it’s not the be-all and end-all, according to court papers. A candidate’s grades, extracurricular activities, life experience and socioeconomic status all come into play as well.
“Candidates are evaluated with an eye towards the myriad ways in which they might contribute to the Navy or Marine Corps as future officers,” attorneys wrote.
The trial is expected to conclude this week with a possibility for an appeal, per the AP News.
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