Conservative group sues DoD over West Point trying to hide DEI agenda
West Point has been accused of taking no serious measures to change the mission of its former DEI office, despite changing its name.
‘It seems games are afoot at West Point to disguise its radical DEI agenda,’ said Judicial Watch’s president.
A conservative nonprofit has initiated a legal challenge concerning the U.S. Military Academy at West Point’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda.
Judicial Watch announced on Wednesday that it filed a “Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense for information regarding the rebranding of West Point’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office to ‘Office of Engagement and Retention.’’”
[RELATED: West Point grad who wrote ‘Communism will Win’ under military cap is now a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin]
The lawsuit aims to force West Point to accede to an Aug. 28 FOIA request from Judicial Watch that seeks to acquire Department of Defense documents and emails regarding West Point’s former DEI office.
Judicial Watch’s announcement cited an Aug. 21 article from the Armed Forces Press that states that West Point changed the name of its DEI office but has still apparently kept its agenda intact.
West Point’s “Office of Engagement and Retention” says it “synchronizes and leverages academy engagement and retention efforts that focus on attracting, hiring, retaining, and developing an inclusive and cohesive staff, faculty, and Corps of Cadets; and engages West Point organizations, DoD, Army partners, and the external community in support of West Point’s mission to build, educate, train, and inspire leaders of character serving in our culturally diverse Army.”
[RELATED: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff defends teaching Critical Race Theory at service academies]
It lists “inclusive principles and practices” as part of its mission as well, and its programs include the “West Point Center for Leadership and Diversity in STEM,” the “West Point Leadership Ethics, and Diversity Conference,” and the “West Point Leadership, Ethics, And Diversity in STEM Workshop.”
“It seems games are afoot at West Point to disguise its radical DEI agenda,” said Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch.
A West Point spokesperson told Campus Reform that the academy “does not comment on pending litigation.”
Other military academies have been in the news as well recently.
The U.S. Naval Academy in Baltimore, for example, was sued on Sept. 16 by Students for Fair Admissions, claiming the academy “manipulates admissions outcomes” in a way that harms white and Asian students.
