Humphreys High School students protest anti-diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives outside their school at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on April 10, 2025. (Fiona Yang)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — When the lunch bell rang Thursday for a 40-minute break at the high school on this Army base, about 40 students used the time to speak out against Defense Department orders rolling back initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion.
The demonstration included a flag-folding, a student dressed as the Statue of Liberty, signs, banners, flags and several speeches.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students at more than a dozen other Department of Defense Education Activity schools in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Guam were scheduled to gather in a coordinated walkout, said a Humphreys High School senior and event organizer who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution for herself and family members.
“It was very empowering, especially knowing that we have students all across the globe walking out for this cause,” she said by phone after the demonstration.
The walkouts are the most recent in a series of student-led efforts throughout DODEA since Feb. 11, when about 50 students demonstrated at Patch Middle School in Stuttgart, Germany.
Humphreys High School students write messages to protest anti-DEI initiatives outside their school at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on April 10, 2025. (Fiona Yang)
Humphreys High School students protest anti-DEI initiatives outside their school at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on April 10, 2025. (Fiona Yang)
Executive orders on Jan. 23 and Jan. 27 spurred the removal and review of books and curriculum from DODEA schools, the end of activities and themed programs such as Black History Month, and the cessation or reorganization of clubs centered on gender or cultural affiliation.
“These actions are in line with President (Donald) Trump’s ongoing commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government,” the Education Department said in a Jan. 25 statement. “They are the first step in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in our schools.”
At Aviano Air Base in Italy, 117 students — or about a third of the population of the combined middle and high school — gathered Thursday at 11 a.m. in back of the gymnasium.
A few parents watched from outside the school’s perimeter fence. A small Security Forces patrol politely asked them not to take photos, citing privacy concerns.
“Diversity is not a threat but a strength of our nation,” senior Mia Davila, one of the event organizers, said during a speech that was heard beyond the fence line. “Our goal is not to disrupt the school environment, but to stand in solidarity.”
Some of the signs displayed slogans, such as “We are skipping our lesson to teach U one” and “All history matters.”
Matthew C. Perry High School students hold a banner during their walkout at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on April 10, 2025. (Ren Foslin)
Matthew C. Perry High School students create a banner for their walkout at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on April 10, 2025. (Ren Foslin)
Most, if not all of the students, left at least part of a class to attend the event, despite DODEA messages sent to parents this week informing them that students who did so would receive unexcused absences.
Such absences may result in detentions or suspensions, and prevent student-athletes and others from participating in extracurricular activities, among other consequences.
“DoDEA schools do not endorse or support any disruption to student learning or the school day,” DODEA-Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson said by email Wednesday.
Organizers at Camp Humphreys changed their walkouts to times that wouldn’t interfere with studies.
Some of the other student-led rallies stuck to their original plans, including at Lakenheath High School in England, where about 35 students joined the walkout for about 25 minutes.
Payton, a Lakenheath sophomore, said in a phone call that the disciplinary threats impacted turnout, but that others were willing to accept that in exchange for standing up for their principles.
“We want to show that we have a voice and that we will fight for what we think is right,” said Payton, who asked to go by his first name to protect a parent from potential retribution.
“With us moving all over the world and sacrificing so much for our families, we should be able to learn about different cultures and languages and the history of what makes us who we are today,” Payton added.
Students at Vilseck High School make a banner to protest against the the removal of books, programs and curriculum deemed to be part of diversity efforts outside their school in Germany on April 10, 2025. (Courtesy photo)
Students at Yokota High School in Japan hold a banner during a walkout on April 10, 2025, to protest anti-DEI initiatives. (Molly Bogdan)
DODEA barred Stars and Stripes from school grounds during the walkout, citing a policy that requires parental consent for students involved in media engagements.
All students quoted by Stars and Stripes are legally adults or spoke with their parents’ blessings.
Maribel Jarzabek, a retired Air Force judge advocate general and the mother of a Humphreys sophomore, said she fully supports her daughter’s decision to participate in the walkout.
“I believe that if she wants to use her voice, she should be able to,” Jarzabek said. “If she believes something is wrong, then she should be allowed to use her freedom of speech and expression.”
Stars and Stripes reporters Jennifer H. Svan in Ramstein, Germany, and Kent Harris in Aviano, Italy, contributed to this report.
