A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) can no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex in admissions to the Annapolis, Maryland, service institution, following orders from President Donald Trump.
Vice Adm. Yvette Davids made the policy change Feb. 14, noting “neither race, ethnicity nor sex can be considered as a factor for admission at any point during the admissions process, including qualification and acceptance,” according to a court filing by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was made public Friday.
Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order stated “every element of the Armed Forces should operate free from any preference based on race or sex” and directed the secretary of defense to conduct an internal review of the country’s service academies.
The decision followed a December ruling in federal court allowing the Naval Academy to continue considering race in its admissions process.
Midshipmen on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Academy attorneys in September argued that prioritizing diversity in the military “makes it stronger, more effective and more widely respected,” according to a report from The Associated Press.
Judges in December found “military cohesion and other national security factors” meant the school should not be subjected to the same standards as civilian universities, according to the report.
The appeal was brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions.
The DOJ on Friday requested a suspension of the case as it looked over the change in USNA’s policy.
The U.S. Naval Academy campus in Annapolis, Md. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“The parties require a reasonable amount of time to discuss the details of the Academy’s new policy and to consider the appropriate next steps for this litigation, including whether this litigation is now moot and, if so, whether the district court judgment should be vacated,” the DOJ wrote in the filing.
Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, called the affirmative action policies “unfair and illegal” in a statement to the AP.
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“Racial discrimination is wrong and racial classifications have no place at our nation’s military academies,” Blum wrote.
Maryland Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Democrat serving on USNA’s Board of Visitors, told the AP the decision was “disastrous” and “will have negative implications on our military’s recruitment and retention for decades to come.”
Midshipmen salute during the commissioning and graduation ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., May 24, 2024. (Reuters/Michael A. McCoy/File Photo)
“A Navy and Marine Corps that reflect the diversity of our country is our strongest Navy and Marine Corps,” Elfreth said. “Diversity and inclusion allow our academies to not just reflect how our country looks but are critical to mission readiness and strong national security.”
In February, the academy said the school was taking steps to close all agency diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) offices and ending DEIA-related contracts in accordance with Trump’s executive orders.
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Though its DEI and DEIA offices were closed since at least the summer of 2024, Davids noted “concerns have been raised that some of these programs may have been modified in a way that obscures their DEIA objectives.”
She said if any staff members were aware of changes to obscure the connection between a contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, they should report it to the Office of Personnel Management.
Incoming plebes (freshmen) march into Bancroft Hall after taking part in their oath of office ceremony during Induction Day at the U.S. Naval Academy June 29, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. (Kevin Dietsch)
“The U.S. Naval Academy did not have a DEI or DEIA office prior to the President’s executive order that mandated closure of all agency DEIA offices and the end of all DEIA-related contracts,” Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a Navy spokesperson, told Fox News.
“The U.S. Naval Academy sent the Jan. 23 email internally to staff simply to inform its personnel that the executive order was issued and USNA would fully comply.
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“The Navy is executing and implementing all directives issued by the president with professionalism, efficiency and in full alignment with national security objectives.”
Human resources officials also told staff USNA emails should not include gender-identifying pronouns on signature lines.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
