by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
May 9, 2025

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday asked a federal judge in Virginia to immediately halt what it calls a sweeping campaign of classroom censorship in military-run schools — including at Crossroads Elementary in Quantico — stemming from executive orders issued by former President Donald J. Trump earlier this year.

The motion for preliminary injunction, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, follows a lawsuit brought last month on behalf of 12 students enrolled in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. 

The students, from pre-K to 11th grade, are children of active-duty service members stationed in Virginia, Kentucky, Italy and Japan.

The ACLU’s new filing alleges that books and curriculum touching on race, gender and civil rights have been systematically scrubbed under the guise of enforcing executive orders 14168, 14185 and 14190, which instruct federal agencies to purge references to “gender ideology,” “divisive concepts” and diversity programming.

In Virginia, that has included removing materials from the library at Crossroads Elementary School in Quantico and canceling student events.

“The Trump administration cannot violate the First Amendment by removing books and curricula it doesn’t like,” said Matt Callahan, senior supervising attorney at the ACLU of Virginia. “Students have a right to see themselves reflected in their libraries and classrooms, and they also have a right to learn from the perspectives of people who aren’t like them. That’s no less true for military families than for anyone else.”

Among the 233 books listed as removed or “quarantined” in the latest motion are “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Looking for Alaska” by John Green and “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Hip-Hop History” by Jeff Chang. The plaintiffs say the materials most frequently targeted are by or about women, people of color and LGBTQ individuals.

Jessica Henninger, a Virginia-based military parent and one of the lead plaintiffs, said her family had remained silent for months out of fear. But after watching DoDEA schools cancel Juneteenth and Holocaust Remembrance Day events and take down posters of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistan education activist shot by the Taliban and winner of the Nobel Peace Price age 17, and Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, she decided speaking out was no longer optional.

“We make sacrifices as a military family so that my husband can defend the Constitution and the rights and freedoms of all Americans,” Henninger said. “If our own rights and the rights of our children are at risk, we have a responsibility to speak out.”

In court filings, the ACLU argues that the censorship campaign has disrupted students’ academic progress — particularly those preparing for Advanced Placement exams — and created a chilling effect in classrooms. Some students now hesitate to ask questions about race or gender, worried that even inquiry could trigger administrative pushback.

“These are American students in American schools, and they have the same First Amendment rights as their peers,” said Emerson Sykes, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. “Families in DoDEA schools have the right to access books about race and gender and the right to learn about the vibrantly diverse world around them.”

Virginia plays a central role in the case. Not only are some of the plaintiffs based in the state, but the case is being heard in the Eastern District of Virginia — a jurisdiction with a history of high-profile First Amendment rulings. Attorneys believe the court could set a national precedent on how far federal agencies, including the military, can go in shaping the content of public education.

While DoDEA officials have said the policy is about “safeguarding children,” critics say it’s political overreach, forcing public servants’ children to bear the brunt of ideological battles. 

The ACLU says the orders violate the Supreme Court’s 1982 decision in Island Trees School District v. Pico, which barred school officials from removing library books simply because they dislike the ideas within.

“This kind of political meddling is antithetical to the First Amendment,” said Corey Shapiro, legal director of the ACLU of Kentucky. “And in DoDEA schools, which are some of the most diverse and high-performing schools in the nation, the impact is magnified.”

If successful, the injunction could compel DoDEA to immediately restore books and classroom materials removed this year — including at Virginia installations — and affirm the rights of military families who, attorneys say, have been sidelined in a fight over what their children are allowed to read and learn.

“Our children are not political pawns,” Henninger said. “They deserve to learn the truth — and we intend to make sure they can.”

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

The post ACLU seeks injunction to block book bans in military schools appeared first on virginiamercury.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning

This content reflects a left-leaning political bias because it highlights concerns raised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) about censorship efforts in military-run schools, which are attributed to executive orders from former President Donald Trump. The article emphasizes themes such as protecting First Amendment rights, opposing the removal of diverse and inclusive educational materials, and framing the censorship as a violation of constitutional freedoms. It critiques conservative policies and aligns with progressive values on education, diversity, and civil liberties, reflecting a perspective more common on the political left.

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Go-go is the official music of Washington, D.C., but when it comes to streaming services where so many listen to and buy music, go-go artists say they’re being snubbed. News4’s Mark Segraves spoke with two legends of go-go about their effort to get the respect they say go-go deserves.
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by Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury
May 8, 2025

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears signed Virginia’s in-progress reproductive rights constitutional amendment, but noted her personal objection to it in a handwritten note on the bill. 

As president of the Senate, she is legally required to sign bills that the legislature passes but she doesn’t have to add any comment to her signatures. Documents obtained by The Mercury show her explanation for why she is against Virginia’s effort to protect reproductive rights like abortion, in vitro fertilization and contraception access in Virginia’s Constitution. 

“I am morally opposed to this bill; no protection for the child,” she wrote above her signature. 

It is the second known message Earle-Sears has penned on a bill she signed but disagreed with  — the first being her note of objection scrawled on a bill last year that would prohibit officials from denying marriage licenses to same-sex or interracial couples, as The Virginia Scope first reported. It is also one of the clearest signals Earle-Sears has sent concerning her views on abortion and reproductive health care since beginning her campaign for governor.

A Sears campaign representative the Mercury reached Thursday afternoon said Earle-Sears had no comment on the matter.

SJR 247 Handwritten Notes

While Earle-Sears’ appearance as a keynote speaker at the Virginia March For Life has already solidified her stance in opposition to proposals that would protect abortion access in Virginia, she’s yet to speak in depth about where she may hold nuanced views on reproductive matters.

Virginia March For Life tees up constitutional amendment ahead of this year’s elections

Abortion access is one of the most politically divisive issues in the state, as Democrats work to shore up protections while Republicans largely support anti-abortion measures, with some GOP members of the legislature having carried life-at-conception bills. In the 2023 elections, many Republicans supported a proposal backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest or life-threatening situations for the parent. It lacked fetal anomaly exceptions — several of which aren’t diagnosed until at or after 15 weeks. 

Early in her 2021 campaign for liuetenant governor, Earle-Sears had called abortion “genocide” and objected to the procedure in all instances, except for ones that could save the life of the pregnant person. Just over a month before the 2021 elections, she’d scrubbed anti-abortion messaging from her campaign website where she’d vowed to “do everything in my power” to stop abortions in Virginia. 

Because Earle-Sears’ 2021 campaign occurred before federal abortion protections were overturned, stating an opinion against abortion was more a signal to like-minded voters than a legislative promise to eradicate it. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal protections in 2022, the matter has become more salient in campaigns. Some states have fortified protections while others have enacted bans or restrictions. Virginia is currently the least-restrictive state in the south. 

As Virginia’s constitutional amendment has already passed the legislature once, it must do so again next year before appearing on ballots statewide for voters to finally approve or reject. That progress, however, hinges on Democrats retaining their majority in the House of Delegates this year, because the amendment has only advanced on partisan lines. 

Governors don’t formally advance or block constitutional amendments, but should Virginia’s fail to  advance, the next governor will be able to sign potential attempts to restrict or ban abortions within state code.

With Earle-Sears gubernatorial opponent Abigail Spanberger in support of reproductive healthcare access — to include abortions, contraception and fertility treatments — their divergences on the issue may be a deciding factor for some voters later this year.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

The post Earle-Sears ‘morally opposed’ to Virginia’s reproductive rights amendment, note shows appeared first on virginiamercury.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content presents Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ opposition to reproductive rights legislation, highlighting her moral objections and ties to anti-abortion activism. It discusses the politically divisive nature of abortion rights in Virginia, noting the Republican support for restrictions versus Democratic efforts to protect access. While it reports on Earle-Sears’ views and actions factually, the focus on her opposition to abortion and the framing within a contentious political landscape positions the content with a center-right bias, reflecting conservative perspectives on reproductive issues without overt editorializing.