Parents gathered at a town hall meeting at the Patch Barracks chapel in Stuttgart, Germany on Feb. 19, 2025, to discuss changes to Defense Department schools following a series of executive orders and Pentagon directives. (Stuttgart Army garrison)
STUTTGART, Germany — More than 100 people packed into the base chapel this week at Patch Barracks, where some military families voiced opposition to recent Pentagon executive orders that have banned diversity programs and sparked curriculum reviews at Defense Department schools.
Educators are still sorting out how to implement rules based on orders issued less than a month ago, said Elizabeth Fales, superintendent for the Department of Defense Education Activity’s Europe East district.
“We are trying our best to be in compliance with the understanding we have at this time,” Fales said Wednesday during a town hall meeting. “So we ask everyone to have some patience with us.”
Frustrations arose at times during the meeting over changes that have ended some long-standing school traditions.
For example, February is Black History Month, the first large observance of the year among minority heritage month celebrations, which were banned by a Jan. 31 order issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“We have kids that feel like they are being erased,” said one mother, who like other attendees remained anonymous in accordance with the rules of the meeting.
The parent, who is Black, added that books such as Toni Morrison’s “Sula” have been removed in a review of library material.
“I am really worried about the mental health aspect of what’s going on,” the woman said. “This whole situation has been really, really hard on my kids.”
Wednesday’s gathering came a week after a student walkout at Patch Middle School during Hegseth’s visit to Stuttgart.
Hegseth’s decision to ban identity months centered on the argument that focusing on race and diversity is divisive and works against the military’s overarching priority of being united in shared purpose.
One of the big challenges DODEA schools are facing is threading the needle when it comes to broadly worded directives.
One parent at the town hall meeting asked whether Black History Month posters depicting historical figures could remain up if the identity month label were removed.
“Honestly, I need to get guidance on that,” Fales said.
Fales added that such programming would continue in military schools, just not in the context of identity months.
“They are part of our curriculum. They are a part of our history,” Fales said. “Our walls should not be bare in elementary classrooms.”
Col. Kirk Alexander, the Stuttgart garrison commander, cautioned against attempts to “rebrand” pictures, which he said could be seen as an attempt to evade compliance with regulations.
For example, Alexander recently canceled a planned Irish American heritage run and rejected a suggestion to rename it “the leprechaun run.”
“We’ve got to be in compliance with the policies coming down, and it takes some time (to figure out how),” Alexander said.
Given the generalized wording of the recent executive orders are, educators are forced to navigate through gray zones.
If schools go too far, they could be accused of “malicious compliance,” or undermining the intent of the directive.
That was the accusation leveled against the Air Force by a Republican U.S. senator from Alabama after the service removed a training video about the Tuskegee Airmen in connection with a review into diversity, equity and inclusion material.
Sen. Katie Britt brought the issue to Hegseth’s attention on the social media platform X.
“We’re all over it, Senator,” Hegseth posted in response. “This will not stand.”
The video has since been restored.
At the same time, schools that take an overly cautious approach to implementing Pentagon orders could face accusations of slow-rolling mandates.
Parents said at the Stuttgart town hall meeting that some schools appear to be taking a harder line than others on implementing policies, adding to the confusion.
Meanwhile, some parents of transgender children said Wednesday that their kids do not feel welcome in school. DODEA is reviewing parts of its curriculum dealing with transgender matters in accordance with Pentagon and presidential directives.
One parent said teachers have become unsure about how to address his child, who goes by a different name than the one she was born with.
“There was an incident in school today where the teacher came up to her and said, ‘I am not sure I can call you by the name you’ve been going by,’” he told the audience.
He said that while teachers have been supportive, “they are very unsure about the limits of what they’re supposed to be doing in school.”
