Schools run by the Defense Department serving military families typically thrive on diversity—given how diverse the military actually is. But as a result of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI crusade, these schools have cut programs supporting diverse students, including cancelling Pride clubs.
According to a Defense Department memo obtained by the New York Times, the purge of curriculum, after school clubs, and reading material relating to race, gender and sexuality has begun in earnest. Public schools have been comparatively slow to respond to federal mandates, since they largely operate under the purview of local officials. Defense Department schools, however, operate directly as an arm of the federal government.
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As a result, a Pride club and Women in STEM group at Lakenheath High School in Britain have both been disbanded. Clubs for queer students and students of Asian and Hispanic heritage were also put on hold at Ramstein High School in Germany. In general, programs and books relating to gender diversity and heritage celebrations like Black History Month are frequent targets of cuts.
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Will Griffin, a spokesman for Defense Department schools, explained that students do retain the right to organize and convene at these student-led clubs. The issue is that the clubs require a teacher as supervisor, and teachers are federal employees. One possible solution could be to have teachers supervise as volunteers, meaning they would not be paid.
“We will continue to remain focused on providing a rigorous, high-quality educational experience for military-connected students to prepare them for success in college, careers and life,” Griffin said.
At the same time, the Defense Department is gutting reading materials, leaving gaps in that educational experience. This includes everything from curriculum in Advanced Placement Psychology on gender identity and sexual orientation to children’s picture books telling true stories of queer history.
The vague nature of federal guidance has led to confusion about which books to pull and which to leave in. One mother told the Times, “Our principal was saying she was not going to request that the library remove books about Rosa Parks or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” On the other hand, books that specifically reference Black History Month would likely be pulled. “There is not a lot of exact guidance,” she explained.
In addition to boasting a diverse student body, the Times points out that reading and math scores at Department of Defense schools are frequently among the best in the nation. This runs counter to the right wing talking point that supporting and including diverse people is somehow at odds with meritocracy. If anything, federal mandates are leading disruptions in the educational experience.
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