Federal Judge to Rule on Whether Naval Academy Can Consider Race in Admissions

Whether Naval Academy Can Consider Race in AdmissionsPhoto by2nd Life Media

The US Naval Academy is in federal court over consideration of race in their admissions process. Lawyers on either side of the legal question presented closing arguments Thursday in Baltimore’s U.S. District Court, arguing in support of and against a lawsuit filed by an anti-affirmative action group, Students for Fair Admissions, seeking to end the practice of race-conscious admissions at the Annapolis service academy.

The question of whether the Naval Academy can continue to consider an applicant’s race in its admissions process now rests in the hands of a federal judge.

Lawyers on either side of the legal question presented closing arguments.

Racial classifications are wrong,” Patrick Strawbridge, an attorney for Students for Fair Admissions, told Bennett on Thursday, arguing that a person’s race is not an indicator of what they can accomplish or how well they can serve their country. “People who want to serve deserve the opportunity to do so without their race playing any part.”

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice defended the Naval Academy against the lawsuit. It contends that the military universities have interests unique from their civilian counterparts — interests that benefit from having a diverse student body that reflects the makeup of the nation.

“A diverse military is a more effective military,” Catherine M. Yang told Bennett, adding that having more minorities at the Naval Academy would lead to a more diverse officer corps, enhancing internal functions and public trust.

Backed by Congress, military leaders determined that having “a diverse officers corps is a strategic advantage,” said Yang, arguing that the court should not interfere with that judgment.

Students for Fair Admissions successfully sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina, leading to a Supreme Court decision ending those schools’ race-conscious admission policies. But the high court’s ruling left open whether America’s service academies have “potentially distinct interests” that should allow them to continue considering race and ethnicity.

The anti-affirmative action group now argues the Naval Academy discriminates based on race and that its admission policy should be deemed illegal.

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett said he would issue an opinion on the matter in the next six or seven weeks.