Naval Academy ditches race and gender considerations in admissions, dismantling the left’s diversity obsession in military education after Trump’s executive order finally prevails.
At a Glance
- U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the Naval Academy cannot consider race, ethnicity, or sex in admissions decisions
- Policy change followed Trump’s executive order emphasizing Armed Forces should operate without race or sex preferences
- Naval Academy is shutting down diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) offices
- Staff instructed to remove gender-identifying pronouns from email signatures
- Decision reversed previous federal ruling that had allowed race-conscious admissions
Merit Wins: The End of Race-Based Admissions at Annapolis
Finally, a win for common sense and constitutional principles. The U.S. Naval Academy has been forced to abandon its race and gender-based admissions policies following a U.S. Court of Appeals decision that upholds former President Trump’s executive order.
On February 14, Vice Admiral Yvette Davids implemented the change, ending the academy’s practice of giving preferential treatment based on immutable characteristics rather than individual merit and qualifications. This victory for fairness comes after years of watching our military institutions gradually transform into social justice experiments.
The policy change represents a complete reversal from a previous federal court ruling that had permitted the Naval Academy to continue its discriminatory admissions practices under the guise of “diversity.” The appeal was spearheaded by Students for Fair Admissions, an organization that has consistently fought against the unconstitutional practice of judging young Americans by their skin color rather than their character and capabilities. This is particularly crucial for military academies, where leadership should be based on competence, not quotas.
A federal judge has upheld the US Naval Academy's use of race in admissions practices, ruling that the school has “established a compelling national security interest” in championing DEI within the military. | @dezward01 https://t.co/ZCbMNr2GsN
— National Review (@NRO) December 10, 2024
Dismantling the DEI Bureaucracy
In compliance with Trump’s executive order, the Naval Academy is now closing its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) offices and terminating related contracts. Ironically, the Academy didn’t even have a DEI office before being ordered to close it – a perfect illustration of how these bureaucratic structures multiply like rabbits once the diversity ideology takes hold. Human resources officials have also instructed staff to remove gender-identifying pronouns from email signature lines, mercifully sparing midshipmen from the “she/her/hers” virtue-signaling that has infected other institutions.
Predictably, the left is having a meltdown. Maryland Representative Sarah Elfreth criticized the decision, fearmongering about potential negative impacts on military recruitment and retention. This tired argument ignores the fundamental question: do we want a military selected by racial quotas or by merit? The purpose of our military academies is to produce the most competent officers possible to defend our nation – not to serve as laboratories for social engineering or to make progressive politicians feel good about themselves.
🚨🇺🇸 NAVAL ACADEMY DROPS RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS
The U.S. Naval Academy will no longer consider race in its admissions process, aligning with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning affirmative action in civilian colleges.
The policy shift was confirmed today in a court filing… https://t.co/5FYBWeAA8s pic.twitter.com/mDr5pDHSwC
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 28, 2025
The Left’s Last Stand
The Department of Justice, ever the defender of progressive ideology over constitutional principles, has requested a suspension of the case to “review” the policy change. We all know what that means – they’re looking for any legal loophole to reinstate race-based admissions. This is the same playbook we’ve seen repeatedly: when the left loses in court, they search for administrative workarounds to implement their agenda anyway. There are already concerns about modifications to programs that might obscure DEIA objectives under different names, showing just how committed the bureaucracy is to preserving these discriminatory practices.
For conservatives who value merit, equal treatment under the law, and military excellence, this ruling represents a significant victory. Our armed forces’ strength depends on selecting the best qualified individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, or sex. By returning to a merit-based system, the Naval Academy can focus on its actual mission: producing outstanding naval officers ready to defend our nation, rather than satisfying arbitrary diversity metrics that do nothing to enhance our military readiness or national security. The woke social experiment in our military institutions is finally facing the resistance it deserves.
