Judicial Watch Sues Department of Defense for Records on U.S. Air Force Academy’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plans

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Inc. (STARRS) against the U.S. Department of Defense for records regarding the U.S. Air Force Academy’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans (Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Defense (No. 1:24-cv-02712)).

Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the U.S. Air Force Academy failed to adequately respond to two FOIA requests concerning DEI tracking at the Academy.

A November 2021 request seeks:

An assessment mandated by the Superintendent to be produced by September 2013.

“Measurements” referenced in Annex 2, Goal D5 and Priorities 2.1 and 2.2.

Cadet wing demographics (e.g., race, ethnicity, and gender) upon entry and graduation for each year between 2003 and 2021 and corresponding representation in cadet commander positions at wing, group, and squadron levels.

An August 2024 request asks for:

Records of cadet wing demographics (e.g., race, ethnicity, and gender) upon entry and graduation for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024 and corresponding representation in cadet commander positions at wing, group, and squadron levels.

Included in the Air Force Academy’s DEI 2013 report is the statement by Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Gould:

The USAFA Diversity and Inclusion Plan, 2012 Revision, is an action plan for D, E, & I that Team USAFA will implement over the next five years. The Annexes are a set of “living documents” for each Mission Partner and Directorate. My staff and I will evaluate the content found in the Annexes at the close of each fiscal year, so the first evaluation will take place in September 2013.

STARRS mission “is to help educate our fellow Americans regarding the criticality of having a military that focuses solely on the essential readiness needed to fight and win our nation’s wars.”

“DEI seems like Job #1 for our nation’s military academies,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Biden-Harris Defense Department is obsessed with indoctrinating our rising military leadership with woke, anti-American ideology. This lawsuit aims to expose and stop this abuse of the young men and women in the Air Force Academy.”

Judicial Watch lawsuits and FOIA requests on Critical Race Theory and other leftist extremism are extensive:

In June 2024, Judicial Watch sued the Defense Department for records regarding deletion of the words “Duty, Honor, Country” from the United States Military Academy at West Point’s mission statement.

In March 2023, records obtained by Judicial Watch from the Department of Defense showed the Air Force Academy has made race and gender instruction a top priority in the training of cadets. 

In July 2023, Judicial Watch exposed records from the United States Air Force Academy, a component of the United States Department of Defense, which included instructional materials and emails that address topics such as Critical Race Theory, “white privilege,” and Black Lives Matter.

In July 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Department of Defense for  records related to the United States Naval Academy (USNA) implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the training of naval recruits.

In June, Judicial Watch received records revealing Critical Race Theory instruction at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point One training slide contains a graphic titled “MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN THE USA.” [Emphasis in original]

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