Students at Pentagon schools sue Hegseth over book bans on race and gender

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 15 Apr 2025 18.12 EDT


Eleven students studying in Pentagon schools in the US and around the world are suing the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, over the book bans he has instigated to remove titles on race and gender from their libraries.

A lawsuit lodged on the students’ behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday argues that their first amendment rights are being irreparably harmed. The complaint says that the censorship has been applied system-wide across Pentagon schools, and was endangering children by preventing them from learning critical information about health, hygiene, biology and abuse.

The legal action targets Hegseth, the former Fox News host, who has been aggressively pursuing the censorship drive as part of Donald Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It also names as a defendant the head of the Pentagon school system, Beth Schiavino-Narvaez. It blames both for violating the students’ first amendment rights by culling library books, and by making curricula changes such as cancelling Women’s and Black History month.

At the center of the lawsuit is the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the federal school system that runs kindergarten through 12th grade schools. It serves about 67,000 children of both active-duty and civilian personnel in the US military.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/15/pentagon-school-students-sue-hegseth-book-bans

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Link to ACLU of Kentucky PRESS RELEASE with PDF viewer at the site - Students sue Department of Defense Schools Over Curriculum Changes, Book Bans

Link to COMPLAINT (PDF) - https://www.aclu-ky.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/ek_v_dodea_-_2025.04.15_ecf_001_-_complaint.pdf

[Demovictory9]

1. Thank you students and ACLU

[Irish_Dem]

2. I think the kids have their parent's consent.

Kids with active duty parents are not suing the DOD against parental wishes.

Active duty cannot speak out.
But their children can.

[LiberalLoner]

3. Exactly right....I am so proud of these students. I graduated from one of those schools, myself.

[Irish_Dem]

4. I attended DOD schools as well.

And I am proud of the kids and their parents for encouraging the kids to protest.

DOD schools were the greatest education!
Top notch independent teachers.
We did not get any military or patriotic indoctrination at all.
Just a quality education.

[LiberalLoner]

5. So cool! 💙💙💙💙💙. The teacher to student ratio was amazing, too...very small classrooms and such

Excellent teachers….will be grateful to them all my life.

[Irish_Dem]

6. It was wartime and overseas.

During the Viet Nam war and in remote locations.
Everything was crowded, the base housing, the schools.
We had to live off base sometimes.

The schools were in old quonset huts from WWII.
No air conditioning in the severe heat.
And we had armed guards and barbed wire all around us.

But the teachers made it all seem normal and routine.
They did not complain at all about the dismal conditions.
Just got down to the business of teaching us.
They saved our sanity, really.

Yes I owe a lot to them for the education and giving us a normal life.

[LiberalLoner]

7. Wow that must have made for some real memories! Gosh! I had it easy, went to what was then called AFCENT international

High school, 76-79. Really a great time.

[Irish_Dem]

8. An example of DOD teachers doing their jobs under difficult situations.

Some of them had easier times of it.

But back during the Viet Nam war, it was not easy for the teachers.
But they still did a stellar, fantastic job.

And I think it shows in the caliber of military kids.
Their good education shines through.

[LiberalLoner]

9. 👍💙💙💙