Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to give a television interview outside the White House, on March 21, 2025. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
"Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them," Reyes wrote in the decision.
Trump signed another executive order in January banning DEI content in K–12 schools that receive federal funds. While military service academies were originally exempt since they are not classified as K–12 institutions, the Pentagon issued instructions to the Naval Academy to remove DEI-related books from its library in March.
Included in the list of nearly 400 books purged are "How to be Anti-Racist" and "Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" by Ibram X. Kendi, as well as "Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America," by former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams.
HERE'S THE LIST OF BOOKS THE NAVAL ACADEMY REMOVED FROM ITS LIBRARY DURING DEI PURGE
Incoming plebes (freshmen) march into Bancroft Hall after taking part in their oath of office ceremony during Induction Day at the U.S. Naval Academy on June 29, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Kendi is the founding director emeritus of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He rose to national prominence following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
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Hegseth has made clear that the Pentagon will not tolerate any DEI initiatives under his watch.
"The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense," Hegseth said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in January. "The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-quips-99-9-percent-dei-initiatives-gone-from-military-under-trumps-watch