A recent federal court decision has denied an injunction to temporarily halt the United States Naval Academy’s race-based admissions policies, according to a report from Reuters.
Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed a lawsuit against West Point in September, challenging the use of race and ethnicity as admissions factors at the United States Military Academy. The group alleges that West Point is violating the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
SFFA petitioned the Court to enter judgment in its favor and to provide relief including a declaratory judgment that West Point’s use of race in admissions is unconstitutional, and injunctions prohibiting the consideration of an applicant’s race in admissions decisions.
Edward Blum, president of SFFA, expressed that the unique role of the military does not justify race-based admissions policies, and called for the end of such practices in military higher education institutions.
In a similar case, SFFA filed against the Naval Academy after winning cases at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at the Supreme Court in June. However, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett ruled against SFFA’s request for an injunction at the Naval Academy and West Point, claiming that the group had not proven the discriminatory nature of the use of race-based admissions for the academies.
Bennett, a veteran who served over 20 years in the U.S. military, acknowledged the history of racial tensions in the military and stated that although they have lessened, they still exist.
The judge announced that he would issue a written ruling within a week and set a swift schedule for the case to proceed to trial on the merits, suggesting that the case could potentially reach the Supreme Court in the future.
