Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth released a memorandum calling for the elimination of all diversity, equity, and inclusion-related practices at U.S. military offices and academies. The statement read, “”the DoD will strive to provide merit-based, color-blind, equal opportunities to Service members but will not guarantee or strive for equal outcomes.”
Despite a December court ruling made by a federal judge that determined the U.S. Naval Academy could continue considering race in its admissions process, a recently released court filing has revealed that the military academy has decided to align with the Trump administration’s directives. The filing reads, “neither race, ethnicity, nor sex can be considered as a factor for admission at any point during the admissions process, including qualification and acceptance.”
The policy change was made in February by Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, the first woman superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. At a March 26 oversight hearing before the Subcommittee on Personnel of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, Davids testified that “at no time are race, sex, or ethnicity considered in the qualification of a candidate and there are no associated demographic goals or objectives.”
In response, the U.S. Department of Justice requested to suspend the current briefing schedule for 60 days as they consider the academy’s change in admissions policy.
