Students sue US Defense Department schools for book removals

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dozen students in U.S. Defense Department schools sued the department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday for book removals and curriculum changes following executive orders from President Donald Trump, an advocacy group said.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 12 students from six families who attend schools as children of active duty service members, the ACLU said on Tuesday.

KEY QUOTES

The lawsuit argues that students' First Amendment rights were harmed by what the ACLU called the "censorship of materials about race and gender in military-run schools." The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protects free speech.

The ACLU said three of Trump's orders signed in January revoked "students' access to books and curricula about race and gender." The Pentagon had no immediate comment.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Since taking office on January 20, Trump has passed multiple executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including at the Department of Defense. The Trump administration has also issued orders aimed at limiting transgender rights.

Rights advocates have condemned Trump, saying the measures he is removing were aimed at addressing systemic barriers for marginalized groups. Trump's supporters say those measures were against merit and discriminated against groups like white people and men.

CONTEXT

Even before Republican Trump took office, free speech group PEN America said books were "under profound attack," noting over 10,000 book bans in U.S. public schools in the 2023-24 school year. In recent years, laws passed in Republican-controlled states have restricted some books.

PEN America says books being targeted the most are by authors of color, LGBTQ+ writers and women, and deal with topics about racism, sexuality, gender and history. Supporters of the restrictions say the step curtails age-inappropriate content.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee and Sandra Maler)

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