US Naval Academy Can Use Race in Admissions, Federal Judge Rules
Upperclassmen take their Oath of Office at the conclusion of Induction day at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesThe US Naval Academy’s practice of using race as a factor in admissions passes constitutional muster, a Maryland federal judge ruled in a blow to the conservative legal group behind the US Supreme Court’s landmark order outlawing affirmative action in higher education.
Judge Richard Bennett of the US District Court for the District of Maryland ruled against Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), which argued the Annapolis, Md.-based Naval Academy’s admissions practices violate the Fifth Amendment by giving racial minority students an edge.