Report: “Students at Pentagon Schools Sue Hegseth Over Book Bans on Race and Gender”

Twelve 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.

Learn More

Read the Complete Article From The Guardian (About 1200 words)

Read the ACLU News Release

Read the Complaint
27 pages; PDF.