Supreme Court Keeps Affirmative Action for Military Academies

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The Supreme Court noted in Thursday’s ruling that military service academies are exempt from the ban on race-conscious admissions. That means military academies can continue using race as a factor in their admissions, even when traditional colleges and universities are prohibited.

According to West Point data, 63% of students are White, 12% are Black, 10% are Hispanic/Latino and 8% are Asian. Nationally, 59% of the U.S. population is White, 14% is Black, 19% is Hispanic and Latino and 6% are Asian {snip}

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit to overturn race-conscious admissions at colleges argued that affirmative action policies are not necessary for military academies, either.

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In Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion, he responded to the brief by noting that race-conscious admission programs “further compelling interests at our Nation’s military academies.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted Roberts’ decision to exempt military academies from the ruling.

“The majority recognizes the compelling need for diversity in the military and the national security implications at stake, but it ends race-conscious college admissions at civilian universities implicating those interests anyway,” Sotomayor wrote.

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