USNA- DEI No Longer Enrollment Criteria
US Naval Academy, Annapolis MD
US Naval Academy ends affirmative action in admissions
By Brian Witte, The Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Naval Academy will no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex as a factor for admission to the service institution, a response to an executive order by President Donald Trump, according to federal court documents made public Friday.
The change in policy was made in February by Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the academy’s superintendent, in response to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January, according to a court filing by the U.S. Justice Department in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The president’s order on Jan. 27 said that “every element of the Armed Forces should operate free from any preference based on race or sex.” It also directed the secretary of defense to conduct an internal review with respect to all “activities designed to promote a race- or sex-based preferences system,” including reviews at the service academies.
“Under revised internal guidance issued by the Superintendent on Feb. 14, 2025, neither race, ethnicity, nor sex can be considered as a factor for admission at any point during the admissions process, including qualification and acceptance,” according to the court filing made public Friday.
This does not sit well with Maryland’s political overlords. Congressional Representative Sarah Elfreth- who serves on the Academy’s Board of Visitors- criticized the change stating “This disastrous decision will have negative implications on our military’s recruitment and retention for decades to come.”
She trots out the tired old trope of DEI being crucial for mission readiness and national security, and how its removal will harm recruiting.
She fails to mention exactly how this dire prognosis will come to pass, and why the military is currently enjoying a surge in recruitment. Surprised? Me neither.
Category: Big Navy, Blue Skies, DEI
