At Raykenheath High School, a school for the children of UK US military members, clubs for gay students and their allies can no longer meet. Women from the STEM group are also on hold.
At Ramstein High School in Germany, they were among groups for students of Hispanic and Asian Heritage, as well as the Pride and Ally Club paused.
And around the world, schools attended by military families are under review in response to the Trump administration's order to crack down on gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion.
So far, few US school districts have made drastic changes in response to the Trump administration's orders. Most K-12 schools operate primarily under local and state control due to limited federal interference.
However, the exception is the Department of Defense school system, which serves approximately 67,000 students in kindergarten through high schools at military bases around the world. As part of the federal government, the Department of Defense schools responded quickly.
In addition to pauses at several affinity clubs related to gender, race and reviews of certain books, according to interviews with students and parents and copies of the Department of Defense memo, the pride ornament was removed and Black History Month's rally and performances were cancelled.
This is a surprising change for the school system, which has historically been isolated from the political battle in education and where mathematics and reading scores are routinely among the nation's highest.
Defense schools are global and are located not only in some military bases in the United States, but also in countries such as Belgium and Japan. Like the military itself, student organizations are racially and socioeconomically diverse, and a history dates back to the creation of school systems to serve students in military families in the American South when local schools are segregated.
“Diversity is the core principle of our school,” said 16-year-old Cuddin, a junior at Lakenheath High School, northeast of Cambridge, who asked him to use only his name to be the child of a federal employee.
At his school, he said that “everything is welcome” and a “everything is welcome” sign that includes a rainbow flag and a symbol of black lives was knocked down from the classroom. He added that foreign flags have also been removed. “We feel like we're losing the essence of what makes our schools thriving,” he said.
Will Griffin, a spokesman for the General Defense School, said the school system is considering policies to ensure that it complies with orders from President Trump and his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses.
Students are entitled to join a student-led group, Griffin said. However, student clubs also need teachers to oversee conferences, and defense school teachers are federal employees eligible for new orders.
Student affinity groups could be started again with employees overseeing unpaid capabilities.
“We will continue to focus on providing strict, quality educational experiences to prepare military-related students for success in college, careers and life,” he said.
In a note on February 5th, defense officials instructed the school not to use certain materials, including “Being Nicole,” a book about the journey of a transgender girl and her family, listed as an independent reading novel for grades 6 to 12. The biography of Arbert Cashier was also listed. This is a civil war Union soldier who was born but lived in the war as a man who was included in some elementary school materials.
Materials from the Advanced Placement Psychology Course on Gender Identity and Sexuality were also off limits.
However, the orders have resulted in confusion and uncertainty as principals and teachers attempt to interpret the guidance and librarians attempt to review the book in more than 100 schools around the world.
Actress Julianne Moore made the headline when she said about her book “Fleckle Face Strawberry,” about a seven-year-old girl who hates her freckles and learns to embrace her differences, was pulled for a review. “I can't help but wonder what's so controversial about this picture book,” wrote Moore, who attended a defense high school in Frankfurt, wrote on Instagram.
But as of this week, “Freckleface Strawberry” is available for checkout, Griffin said. He said that most of the books under review are not part of the official curriculum, but are additional books available in classrooms and libraries.
“Our principal said they were not going to require the library to remove books about Rosa Parks or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Ally Allen, a mother of three who attended a defense school in Stuttgart, Germany. However, books that mention Black History Month may be removed, she said.
“There's not much accurate guidance,” she said.
Sofia Carey, 16, a junior at German defense high school, said the students were also waiting at Limbo.
She wanted to set up a girls' club in high school. This included a community project hosting Women's History Month rallies, bringing in female speakers working in military and science, and providing feminine products in women's bathrooms at schools and communities.
The obstacles of her club and others, she said, had found teachers who could supervise her. “Everything is very uncertain,” she said.
Eric Adelson Reports of contributions.
