Middle schoolers at a U.S. military school in Germany on Tuesday protested against policies eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the Department of Defense by walking out of class during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the nation.
A letter to families from Patch Middle School’s Assistant Principal Alexis Small, obtained by The Washington Post, said 55 students left class “in protest of recent events.”
The students left the building for 50 minutes “in an orderly fashion” and stayed in the school’s courtyard before going back to class.
“DoDEA [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. Our school is committed to providing a safe environment where everyone is treated with respect and encouraged to help others,” Small said.
“Our teachers, administrators, and staff continue to reinforce a sense of positive school community, and we ask for your partnership in working with your child to discuss meaningful actions they can take to engage in our community,” she added.
The protest occurred as Hegseth was in Germany, with footage from NBC showing students chanting “DEI.”
Hegseth has pledged to rid the military of DEI, following a directive from President Trump to purge it from the federal government entirely.
“Social Justice and DEI are OUT; History, Engineering, and War Studies are IN. We must restore the warrior ethos to the @deptofdefense — and it starts with our future leaders,” he posted on X.
Hegseth issued guidance to all military schools at the end of January to prohibit resources going towards celebrating cultural events, including for Black History Month.
Hegseth is also implementing Trump’s executive order barring openly transgender individuals from the military.
The Hill has reached out to the school for comment.
