The Supreme Court has ruled that the US Military Academy at West Point can continue to consider race as a factor in its admissions process, maintaining the limited remnants of affirmative action in higher education. This decision comes after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling last term, which significantly impacted race-conscious admissions policies at universities across the nation, exempting military academies.

 

Conservative legal group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) had sought to challenge this exception by filing a constitutional challenge against West Point. In an emergency decision, the Supreme Court rejected SFFA's request to immediately halt West Point from using race as a factor in its upcoming admissions cycle while the constitutional challenge proceeds in a lower court.

 

The court's unsigned order emphasized that the record before them was underdeveloped, and the decision should not be construed as expressing any view on the merits of the constitutional question. The justices declined the request without any noted dissents.

 

SFFA had initiated its legal challenge nearly three months after the Supreme Court's earlier ruling. The group sued West Point and the Naval Academy, aiming to eliminate the exception for military academies. A federal district judge initially ruled in favor of West Point, prompting SFFA to appeal to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

The 2nd Circuit, in a recent ruling, declined to block West Point's policies while considering SFFA's appeal. The Supreme Court's decision not to intervene at this stage is expected to renew concerns about diversity in higher education, especially after the previous ruling against affirmative action.

 

The legal challenge against West Point was brought by SFFA on behalf of two anonymous plaintiffs described as white males aspiring to apply to West Point. The school, represented by U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, argued that a diverse Army officer corps is a national-security imperative, requiring limited consideration of race in admissions.

 

This decision by the Supreme Court is likely to reignite discussions about the role of race in higher education and the ongoing challenges to affirmative action policies.

 

05.02.24

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Would be good to be able to believe that the best candidates are admitted no matter what their race, but I fear the days when that used to be the case are long gone.

If I was from any visible minority I would consider it an insult to be told that I was not being admitted on merit but by some woke political motive. Also I would be afraid that distrust would follow me, as I would continually have to prove that I was capable and not just the result of some quota.I remember when a lot of women especially in government were being promoted to managerial positions. People would ask is she a real manager or an affirmative action manager.

49 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

If I was from any visible minority I would consider it an insult to be told that I was not being admitted on merit but by some woke political motive. Also I would be afraid that distrust would follow me, as I would continually have to prove that I was capable and not just the result of some quota.I remember when a lot of women especially in government were being promoted to managerial positions. People would ask is she a real manager or an affirmative action manager.

So now the U.S. Military must be woke, do you guys ever give it a rest?!

 

 

just saying, all the American soldiers victims of the attack on their base in Jordania were coloured people!?

14 hours ago, Social Media said:

Supreme Court rejected SFFA's request to immediately halt West Point from using race as a factor in its upcoming admissions cycle while the constitutional challenge proceeds in a lower court.

 

The court's unsigned order emphasized that the record before them was underdeveloped, and the decision should not be construed as expressing any view on the merits of the constitutional question. The justices declined the request without any noted dissents.

 

So, the Supreme Court didn't actually rule anything...  They kicked it back to the lower courts, where it may work its way back up to the SC.  Or may be settled before it gets there.