A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that the United State Naval Academy can continue an admissions policy that considers race among applicants.
On Dec. 6, Judge Richard Bennett declared that a policy that promotes a “racially diverse officer corps” constitutes a “national security interest,” as noted by The Washington Free Beacon.
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”Over many years, military and civilian leaders have determined that a racially diverse officer corps is a national security interest,” Bennett writes in his ruling. “That judgment has been based on American military history and a 2009 diversity commission mandated by the United States Congress. Indeed, a U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services issued this year has noted the continuing problem of underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in the military service academies.”
”This is fundamentally a military personnel issue,” Bennett adds.
”U.S. Naval Academy does not set any racial quotas or engage in racial balancing in
its admissions process. No candidate for admission is admitted based solely on his or her race,” the judge argues. ”However, the Academy is distinct from a civilian university and its admissions process is far
more complex. It is governed by federal statutes, Department of Defense directives, and
Department of Navy regulations.”
”The Naval Academy has established a compelling
national security interest in a diverse officer corps in the Navy and Marine Corps,” he concludes. ”Furthermore, that interest is indeed measurable, and the Academy’s admissions program is
narrowly tailored to meet that interest.”
President Edward Blum of Students for Fair Admissions, which argued against the Naval Academy’s admissions policy, responded to the ruling by saying the group is “disappointed” by the ruling.
[RELATED: SCOTUS rules against affirmative action in college admissions]
”This organization is disappointed by the Court’s opinion. But just as we did in our successful lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, SFFA will appeal this to the appellate court,” he said in a statement provided to The Hill. “If we are unsuccessful there, then we will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
“It is our hope that the U.S. military academies ultimately will be compelled to follow the Supreme Court’s prohibition of race in college admissions,” Blum reportedly concluded.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
