A legal fight over affirmative action has taken flight once more, this time targeting the U.S. Air Force Academy. The group behind the landmark Supreme Court decision banning race-based admissions at civilian colleges has filed a lawsuit challenging the academy’s admissions policies, marking the latest front in a nationwide debate.
Students for Fair Admissions, led by prominent affirmative action critic Edward Blum, submitted the complaint in federal court in Colorado. The lawsuit accuses the academy of violating the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection clause by factoring race into its admissions decisions, a practice the group contends is discriminatory and without legal justification.
The move comes just days after a judge dismissed a similar case targeting the U.S. Naval Academy. Despite this setback, Blum’s organization continues to push forward, aiming to extend its Supreme Court victory that ended affirmative action policies at universities like Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Notably, the earlier ruling did not include military academies, with Chief Justice John Roberts citing their “potentially distinct interests.”
Supporters of race-conscious admissions in military academies, including the Biden administration, argue that diverse officer ranks are vital for trust and cohesion in the armed forces, which were officially desegregated in 1948. However, with a new administration on the horizon, this stance could face changes.
The Air Force Academy, which prepares cadets for roles in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, recently celebrated the diversity of its incoming class of 2028, where nearly 40% of cadets identified as racial or ethnic minorities. The academy has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
This legal challenge follows earlier cases against the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy, with varying outcomes. The West Point case is moving toward trial, while appeals are underway in the Naval Academy dispute.
As debates about equity and merit in education persist, this latest lawsuit underscores the broader question of how institutions balance diversity and fairness in shaping their future leaders.
