DOJ Defends Race as Naval Academy Admissions Factor at Trial (1)

The conservative legal group behind the US Supreme Court ruling that outlawed race-conscious admissions in higher education squared off with the US Naval Academy at a federal trial Monday, insisting that its affirmative action policies disadvantage Asian American and White applicants.

Adam Mortara, lead trial attorney for Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), argued on the first day of the two-week bench trial at US District Court for the District of Maryland that Annapolis, Maryland-based Naval Academy’s admissions practices violate the Fifth Amendment by giving racial minority students an edge. It has no legal justification for its admissions policy, which currently ...