The Department of Defense’s education agency is facing a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) over the removal of books in response to orders from the Trump administration. The ACLU argues that this action violates the First Amendment rights of students in the school system for children of military families.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia, focuses on a school system that educates more than 67,000 students in preschool through high school on military bases in the United States and abroad. The schools have come under scrutiny for changes implemented under the Trump administration, including the pausing of student affinity clubs focused on race and gender, as well as the removal of Pride decorations at some schools.
Defense Department schools have been uniquely affected by President Trump’s executive orders on education, which criticized teaching about concepts like white privilege and rejected policies supporting transgender students’ preferred pronouns and bathrooms. The former Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, also called for an end to cultural awareness months in the military, such as Black history or women’s history months, a change that impacted the schools.
Emerson Sykes, a lawyer with the ACLU, stated that the changes in these schools reflect the broader agenda of the Trump administration. While military members may have limited rights while on duty, their children are civilians attending public schools. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six families whose children attend schools in Virginia, Kentucky, Italy, and Japan.
The lawsuit alleges that books were removed from the curriculum based on political correctness rather than educational value. Titles like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Kite Runner,” “Both Sides Now,” and “A Queer History of the United States” were among those removed. The Department of Defense declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation.
Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that students were denied the opportunity to learn about Black history and the contributions of Black Americans after the cancellation of Black History Month. It also claims that students are being deprived of essential knowledge needed to navigate the world and succeed on future tests.
According to the lawsuit, chapters on topics like sexually transmitted diseases, sexual harassment, and the human reproductive system have been removed from health education textbooks. Additionally, students enrolled in Advanced Placement psychology are no longer being taught certain material on gender and sex that may appear on the AP exam.
The ACLU is seeking to protect the rights of students in Defense Department schools and ensure that they have access to a diverse and comprehensive education. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the future of education in military-connected schools.
