DOJ settles suit against West Point, Air Force Academy over race-based admissions

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday reached a civil settlement in a suit over the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy to bar race-based admissions.

The settlement follows a 2022 Supreme Court decision that outlawed race-based admissions for colleges, commonly known as affirmative action. The Trump administration has since attempted to root out the practice, which many institutions have retained under less explicit names.

"This Department is committed to eliminating DEI practices throughout the federal government,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, according to the Washington Times. “We are proud to partner with the Department of Defense to permanently end race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy — admission to these prestigious military institutions should be based exclusively on merit.”

Students for Fair Admissions had sued the schools over their practices. Though the Biden adminsitration initially contested the suits, the Trump administration reversed course and agreed that the DOJ would work to ensure merit-based admissions.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.