Board Votes Unanimously to Admit Women to Citadel

The Citadel fell in line behind the Supreme Court on Friday, deciding to end its 153-year-old men-only policy and admit women immediately and “enthusiastically.”

The unanimous vote by the school’s governing board came two days after the high court declared unconstitutional the all-male admissions policy at Virginia Military Institute.

The Citadel’s decision leaves VMI as the only all-male state-supported military school in the nation.

“Effective immediately, The Citadel will enthusiastically accept qualified female applicants into the corps of cadets,” said Jimmy Jones, board president.

Women could begin marching in August.

“It’s terrific,” said Val Vojdik, the lead attorney in the 3 1/2-year fight to get the school to accept female cadets. “It’s absolutely the right thing--a stunning victory for the women and the state of South Carolina. I think The Citadel will emerge a new and better place.”

The decision ends a battle that began in 1993, when Shannon Faulkner was admitted to The Citadel after she had all references to her gender deleted from her transcript. The school withdrew the admissions offer after realizing she was a woman.

Faulkner sued, and a federal judge eventually ordered her accepted as a cadet last August. But she dropped out after less than a week, citing the stress, hostility and isolation.

In an attempt to preserve its all-male status, The Citadel, like VMI, created a separate “women’s leadership program,” this one at all-female Converse College across the state in Spartanburg.

But the Supreme Court, in its decision Wednesday, declared VMI’s women’s program unequal to VMI itself and therefore unacceptable. That ruling, in turn, cast doubt on the constitutionality of The Citadel’s program for women.

“We are pleased and proud that the leadership of The Citadel has responded not only to its legal duty but to its moral duty as well,” said Deval Patrick, assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights.

VMI has yet to decide whether it will admit women or try to take itself private, which would enable it to remain all-male. The school would not comment on The Citadel’s decision.