Judge Affirms Naval Academy’s Race-Based Admissions Policy

A federal judge in Maryland appointed by George W. Bush upheld the Naval Academy’s race-based admissions program on Friday, dashing the hopes of an anti-affirmative action group that successfully challenged at the Supreme Court such practices at civilian schools.

Students for Fair Admissions sued the Naval Academy in October 2023 after the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in June 2023 that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina’s affirmative action programs violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

But in Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion, the decision did not address the propriety of race-based admissions systems at the nation’s military academies “in light of the potentially distinct interests that military academies may present.”