The U.S. military must now allow HIV-positive soldiers to become officers, a judge ordered Wednesday, reversing policies that previously blocked the promotion.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema’s order resolved a 2018 lawsuit by granting the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, Bloomberg reported. The summary judgment allowed the plaintiff to secure a win in the case without it going to trial.
A military HIV policy that was overturned in December once prevented recruits who tested positive from enlisting in the armed forces altogether. Those who tested positive after enlisting faced several restrictions that made it difficult for them to serve in certain positions and be deployed to combat zones.
The suit, which named the U.S. Department of Defense as a defendant, was filed on behalf of National Guard sergeant Nick Harrison. Harrison alleged in the lawsuit that the military’s HIV policy breached the Constitution’s equal protection clause because it blocked him from becoming a…