A federal district court upheld the U.S. Naval Academy‘s use of race-conscious admissions policies on Friday, rejecting a challenge brought by the same group that succeeded in the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in higher education.
U.S. Senior District Judge Richard Bennett, nominated by former President George W. Bush, ruled that the academy’s policies serve a “compelling national security interest” by fostering a diverse officer corps for the Navy and Marine Corps, according to a lengthy 179-page decision.
Bennett emphasized that decisions about military personnel require deference to the executive branch, stating, “The Naval Academy’s race-conscious admissions policies are narrowly tailored to further a compelling governmental interest in national security.”
The ruling follows a nine-day trial in September, during which over a dozen witnesses from the plaintiff and the defendant sides offered competing testimony about the extent to which race and diversity are considered for admissions and recruitment. Bennett concluded that race is only one of several factors in the admissions process and is applied in limited, non-determinative circumstances. The court also noted the academy’s extensive race-neutral efforts, such as outreach programs and consideration of socioeconomic adversity.
Leah Watson, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Program, praised the decision in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
“We are encouraged by today’s ruling, which recognizes the importance of diversity in shaping leaders who can effectively respond to the complex global challenges our nation faces,” Watson said. “Today’s decision also unequivocally rejects the attempt by Ed Blum’s SFFA to apply the Harvard University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill decision beyond their fact-specific context.”
