Judge Orders Return of Books on Gender and Race to Military Base Libraries
In a significant legal development, a federal judge has mandated that books covering gender and race topics be reinstated in school libraries located on military bases across Kentucky, Virginia, Italy, and Japan.
This ruling follows a lawsuit initiated in April by 12 students from these bases, who argued that their First Amendment rights were infringed upon when nearly 600 books were removed from their schools. These students, children of active-duty service members ranging from pre-kindergarten to 11th grade, sought legal recourse to challenge the removal.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), alongside its branches in Kentucky and Virginia, filed a motion on behalf of the students’ families. The motion called for the reinstatement of “all books and curriculum already quarantined or removed based on potential violation of the Executive Orders.”
Earlier this year, former President Trump issued executive orders that led to the removal of materials promoting “gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology” from federal agencies. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth followed suit with memoranda, including “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” which banned “instruction on Critical Race Theory (CRT), DEI, or gender ideology,” and “Identity Months Dead at DoD,” ceasing official support for heritage months.
The plaintiffs claimed that DoDEA officials directed the removal of books and cancellation of lesson plans and events that could violate these executive orders. Books affected by this decision discussed themes of sexual identity, racism, and LGBTQ pride. A comprehensive list of these books is available here.
Additionally, two elementary schools cancelled Black History Month events, a middle school ordered the removal of posters featuring education activist Malala Yousafzai and artist Frida Kahlo, and another school cancelled Holocaust Remembrance Day activities.
The ACLU’s motion highlighted that students faced punishment when protesting these actions, leading to a growing fear among them of discussing race and gender topics in classrooms.
In her ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles sided with the students, stating the book removals were not based on educational concerns but were influenced by “improper partisan motivation.” She ordered the immediate restoration of the removed books and materials.
As of now, the Department of Defense and DoDEA have not responded to NPR’s request for comment.
