The attorney representing a California midshipman facing expulsion over racist tweets has a long history with the Naval Academy, including previously defending a midshipman separated over racist language.

Midshipman 1st Class Chase Standage’s lawsuit against the Naval Academy superintendent and secretary of the Navy may only list two defendants, but in trying to prove Standage’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated, attorney Jeffrey McFadden has brought in several members of the McFadden Naval Academy community.

That includes the commandant’s daughter, as evidence of a “culture war” that sees the academy adopting tenets of Black Lives Matter and anti-racism.

Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck and Commandant of the Midshipmen Thomas R. Buchanan have made several public statements encouraging midshipmen to reflect on their actions and educate themselves about systemic racism, including at the academy, since the police killing of George Floyd over the summer.

McFadden, who is the lead attorney on the case, is a Naval Academy alumnus, a1979 graduate. Over the years, he has stayed connected to his alma mater, often criticizing what he sees as the changing culture.

Standage has asked for an emergency hearing to keep the Naval Academy superintendent and secretary of the Navy from expelling him. McFadden’s request for a preliminary injunction was filed the same day he filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming the Navy’s looming action would violate his client’s rights to free speech and a fair hearing.

In the lawsuit filed Oct. 1 by McFadden and Annapolis attorney Crighton Chase, Standage asked the judge to find that the Naval Academy leadership discriminated