A group of twelve students from Department of Defence Education Activity ( DoDEA ) schools are taking legal action against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating their First Amendment rights through widespread book bans.
The students, who attend Pentagon-operated institutions in the US, Italy, and Japan, are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which filed a complaint on their behalf in a Virginia federal judge, rdianeported The Guar
The case centres on the Pentagon’s treatment of books and education material dealing with culture, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ problems. The bans were introduced under Hegseth’s leadership and align with Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at ending diversity, equity, and inclusion ( DEI ) initiatives in federal institutions.
According to the ACLU, the restrictions are not only illegal but dangerous. They prevent kids from accessing important data about science, heath, and abuse. The problem also highlights the withdrawal of Black and Women’s History Month programmes and repression of scholar books that mention female identity.
The ACLU argues that book restrictions in these institutions go beyond social debate. ” This is not how public schools are supposed to work – students have a right to learn”, said Emerson Sykes, ACLU’s head guidance.
Titles removed contain I know why the captive bird songs, A queer history of the United States, and Julian is a Mermaid. At the same time, controversial names like Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf were left untouched. The ban even extended to the US Naval Academy, where nearly 400 novels were removed.
Artists such as Geraldine Brooks and Jennifer Finney Boylan have criticised the restrictions. Boylan, a trans author, said the repression reflects deeper intolerance. ” Trump may love puppies, but dogs are great courts of persona”, she wrote.
