The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that a litigation settlement has been reached following two lawsuits over race-based admissions policies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The settlement ends race-based admissions at two of the top military academies in the country.
In a Tuesday press release, the Justice Department announced that the litigation settlement came after two lawsuits were brought against the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy by Students for Fair Admissions Inc. regarding former race-based admissions practices at the military academies. The press release noted that the two lawsuits, which argued that race-based admissions were unconstitutional according to the Fifth Amendment, have both been dismissed following the litigation settlement.
Addressing the settlement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that the Justice Department is “committed to eliminating DEI practices throughout the federal government” under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We are proud to partner with the Department of Defense to permanently end race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy — admission to these prestigious military institutions should be based exclusively on merit,” Bondi added.
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In Tuesday’s press release, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton stated, “America is the land of equal opportunity, in spirit and in law. Today’s agreement ensures that our future military leaders will carry on the greatness that is born of opportunity, effort, and a level playing field.”
The Justice Department confirmed that the settlement with Students for Fair Admissions Inc. prevents the two parties from having to continue litigation efforts in both lawsuits. Additionally, the lawsuit noted that the settlement includes “agreed-upon terms that help ensure that admission to these prestigious institutions is based exclusively on merit, not race or ethnicity.”
The Justice Department explained that Tuesday’s settlement comes after the department previously resolved a similar case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit pertaining to former race-based admissions policies at the U.S. Naval Academy.
According to Stars and Stripes, the two lawsuits against the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy were filed in 2023 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action and race-based admission practices at colleges and universities. At the time, the Supreme Court noted that military academies were not subject to the ruling “in light of the potentially distinct interests” of the academies.
