A civil liberties organization has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense’s school system for military families, claiming that the removal of certain books and educational materials related to race and gender violates students’ First Amendment rights.
The legal complaint, submitted to a federal court in northern Virginia, challenges actions taken by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). According to the suit, the agency removed materials in response to a presidential executive order issued in January, which prohibits the promotion of what it labels as “divisive or un-American” concepts related to race and gender.
Books reportedly removed from some school libraries include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and Hillbilly Elegy by Vice President JD Vance. The lawsuit also points to the elimination of curriculum content, such as lessons on gender and sexuality in an Advanced Placement psychology course, as well as readings about immigration intended for elementary students.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of 12 students from six different families with children enrolled in military-run schools across Virginia, Kentucky, Italy, and Japan. It argues that the removals amount to government censorship and infringe upon students’ rights to access diverse ideas and perspectives in the classroom.
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