West Point disbands a dozen cadet clubs as Trump pushes to eliminate DEI policies
The U.S.Military Academy has disbanded a dozen West Point cadet clubs centered on ethnicity, gender, race and sexuality in response to the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity programs throughout government.The famed military academy in New York issued a memo Tuesday shutting down groups including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Club and Society of Women Engineers Club in order to adhere to recent guidance from the Army and Defense Department.
It also shut down the Corbin Forum, a decades-old leadership club for female cadets, and Spectrum, a gay-straight alliance.President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order aimed at halting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government and ordered the federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.The West Point memo also ordered all other cadet clubs to pause activities until officials can review the groups to ensure that they comply with Trump administration rules.The U.S.Military Academy at West Point released a statement that said it is reviewing programs affiliated with its former office of diversity and inclusion and that the clubs that were shut down were sponsored by that office.“More than one hundred clubs remain at the U.S.
Military Academy, and our leadership will continue to provide opportunities for cadets to pursue their academic, military, and physical fitness interests while following Army policy, directives, and guidance,” the statement reads.The Department of Defense directed questions on the memo to the Army and West Point but sent a link to recent Defense Department guidance that said “Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months” such as Black History Month.“Efforts to divide the force — to put one group ah...