{"id":4274,"date":"2025-04-16T12:12:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T12:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/news\/?p=4274"},"modified":"2025-04-16T12:12:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T12:12:42","slug":"students-sue-us-defense-department-over-book-bans-in-military-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/news\/students-sue-us-defense-department-over-book-bans-in-military-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Sue US Defense Department Over Book Bans in Military Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twelve students are suing the Department of Defense over book bans and curriculum changes in Pentagon-run schools.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lawsuit argues that recent removals violate the students\u2019 First Amendment rights to access information.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Banned materials include books on gender identity, race, and AP Psychology, as well as content linked to cultural events like Black History Month and Pride Month.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The changes stem from executive orders signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plaintiffs seek to restore the removed materials and halt future restrictions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A group of twelve students enrolled in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dodea.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> schools has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming the recent removal of books and changes to curricula violate their constitutional rights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The legal action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia with support from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lawsuit centers on book bans and instructional changes implemented across DoDEA schools following three executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in January.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The orders\u2014targeting what the administration called \u201cgender ideology\u201d and \u201cradical indoctrination\u201d\u2014prompted a wave of content removals, including educational materials on race, gender identity, LGBTQ+ history, and personal safety topics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plaintiffs, who are children of active-duty service members stationed in Virginia, Kentucky, Italy, and Japan, argue the restrictions have stripped them of their right to learn about their identities and American history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Learning is a sacred and foundational right,&#8221; said Natalie Tolley, a parent and plaintiff. &#8220;Our children deserve access to information that reflects their experiences and opens them to diverse perspectives.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The changes also affected extracurricular and cultural activities. Observances such as Black History Month and Pride Month were suspended, and yearbooks were edited to eliminate references to gender identity or social transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DoDEA Director Beth Schiavino-Narvaez was named in the suit alongside Hegseth. The complaint cites the banning of numerous titles including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Kite Runner<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Julian is a Mermaid<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Queer History of the United States<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and AP Psychology study guides.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACLU attorney Emerson Sykes emphasized that DoDEA students, though attending schools under military jurisdiction, retain the same First Amendment protections as other public school students. \u201cThe First Amendment protects their right to read, speak, and learn freely,\u201d Sykes said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plaintiffs are asking the court to reinstate the removed content and stop further censorship across the 161 DoDEA schools operating globally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also in the news:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/news\/wilmer-hutchins-high-school-shooting-in-dallas-leaves-four-students-injured-suspect-in-custody\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wilmer-Hutchins High School Shooting in Dallas Leaves Four Students Injured, Suspect in Custody<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/news\/president-trump-freezes-2-3b-in-harvard-funding-after-university-defies-federal-demands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">President Trump Freezes $2.3B in Harvard Funding After University Defies Federal Demands<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/news\/naacp-takes-legal-action-against-u-s-education-department-over-dei-funding-cuts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NAACP Takes Legal Action Against U.S Education Department Over DEI Funding Cuts<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways: Twelve students are suing the Department of Defense over book bans and curriculum changes in Pentagon-run schools. The lawsuit argues that recent removals violate the students\u2019 First Amendment rights to access information. Banned materials include books on gender identity, race, and AP Psychology, as well as content linked to cultural events like Black [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[330],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.4 (Yoast SEO v25.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Students Sue US Defense Department Over Book Bans in Military Schools<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Students sue U.S. Defense Dept. over book bans and curriculum changes in DoDEA schools, citing First Amendment rights violations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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