Patch Middle School at the U.S. Army's Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. About 55 of the school's students on Tuesday held a walkout during a visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the installation for meetings with service members and military officials. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
STUTTGART, Germany — More than 50 Patch Middle School students staged a walkout Tuesday to protest recent Pentagon moves that have targeted diversity initiatives at military schools.
In a memo to parents, the school said the protest was related to “recent events,” while stopping short of directly naming the Pentagon’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and educational material.
The protest coincided with a visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Patch Barracks, who was in Stuttgart for meetings at U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command headquarters.
During his stop at EUCOM, a small gathering of people dressed in civilian clothes also appeared to protest recent Pentagon decisions, with the group shouting out “DEI” for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Patch Middle School assistant principal Alexis Small said the school protest occurred at 1 p.m., with 55 students walking out of class. The group gathered in the courtyard for about 50 minutes, Small said in the memo to parents Tuesday.
The Department of Defense Education Activity “respects our students’ rights to peacefully express their opinions through speech and other means as long as it is done respectfully, does not interfere with the rights of others, and does not disrupt learning in the school,” Small said.
Since President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, a flurry of changes inside government have rippled across the Defense Department.
Hegseth has made the removal of diversity initiatives a focal point during the opening weeks of his tenure, cancelling official identity events such as Black History Month. Hegseth says that diversity programs divide the military community and that he wants to emphasize unity.
The push also has prompted a review of curriculum at Pentagon K-12 schools.
A DODEA memorandum issued last week names eight specific materials that are not to be used in classes pending a review that could be expanded, according to school officials.
To comply with directives, schools have removed books from library shelves, and student organizations such as the Pride club and Women in STEM have been disbanded at some locations.
Instructions also were given to remove bulletin board material that could be flagged for violating the president’s executive orders, including one on ending “radical indoctrination” in K-12 schools.
