Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, seeking documents related to the alleged removal of the West Point crest from Bibles in the West Point Cadet Chapel. The lawsuit was initially triggered by a FOIA request submitted by Judicial Watch in December 2024, following information from the MacArthur Society, a group of West Point graduates concerned about potential politicization at the military academy. The request alleged that the crest, which had been featured on the Bibles since 1984, was removed around December 2024. The removal of the crest has sparked concerns among conservative groups that the military academy is distancing itself from traditional values.
While the reasons for the crest’s removal remain unclear, the lawsuit seeks transparency into the decision, which the conservative watchdog believes is part of a broader effort to disconnect West Point from its historical ties to ‘traditional values.’ Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton has criticized what he calls a ‘severing of all connections’ between West Point and these values, citing additional changes such as the removal of ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ from the academy’s mission statement in favor of ‘Army Values.’ This move, according to Fitton, aligns with a broader trend under the Biden administration to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The removal of the crest from Bibles has drawn parallels to past controversies, including the 2012 case where the military rejected a series of Holman Christian Standard Bibles due to concerns that they signaled the Bible as the official religious text of the military services. West Point’s spokesperson confirmed that the chapel’s Bibles now bear the name of the military academy, stating that the Bibles purchased for the chapel are emblazoned with ‘The United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.’ Despite this, the Department of Defense has refused to comment on the pending litigation, citing its stance on not commenting on active legal cases.
West Point is one of several U.S. military academies that train future military officers. The recent controversy over the crest removal has also intensified scrutiny of the academy’s mission statement, which was altered in 2024 from ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ to ‘Army Values,’ a change that has been accused by conservative groups of furthering DEI initiatives. However, West Point has acknowledged that its mission statement has been revised multiple times over the past century, with the phrase ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ being added only in 1998. The academy’s spokesperson pointed to the statement by West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland, who emphasized that the academy’s focus remains on developing leaders of character for the Army.
This latest development is part of a broader pattern of scrutiny surrounding the military’s role in promoting DEI and its impact on traditional military values. As the lawsuit continues, the controversy surrounding the West Point crest and its implications for the academy’s identity and mission will remain a focal point for conservative watchdogs and legal observers alike.