It’s not every day that middle schoolers take a stand, but when they do, you know something serious is happening. On Tuesday, about 55 students from Patch Middle School in Stuttgart, Germany, walked out of class in protest. Why? Because the Pentagon, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been making significant changes—changes that many believe are harmful to diversity, inclusion, and education.
The walkout happened during Hegseth’s visit to the U.S. Army’s Patch Barracks. The students left their classrooms at 1 p.m. and gathered in the courtyard for nearly an hour. While the school didn’t explicitly say why they were protesting, it was clearly about Hegseth’s efforts to erase diversity programs from military schools.
Trump loyalist Hegseth has aggressively rolled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Last week, he banned Black History Month celebrations and disbanded student groups like the Pride Club and Women in STEM. Books discussing race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues are now being pulled from school libraries. Even bulletin boards with messages of inclusion are being taken down.
One eighth-grade student who helped organize the walkout told The Washington Post,
“There was this great sense of community and belonging. Like we’re not alone because so many kids came out.”
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That’s powerful coming from middle schoolers who want to feel seen and included.
The students weren’t the only ones protesting. At U.S. European Command headquarters, a group of military families also showed up to make their voices heard. About two dozen people chanted “DEI” and booed as Hegseth arrived. Protests from military families are rare, but these parents are frustrated.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement, schools in the South resisted integrating Black and white students. When Ronald Reagan became president in the 1980s, he slashed funding for bilingual education and tried to weaken civil rights protections. And let’s not forget Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who made headlines in 2023 for banning African American history courses and removing LGBTQ+ books from school libraries.
Since returning to office, Trump has been busy rolling back progressive policies. As his Defense Secretary, Hegseth ensures those changes hit military communities hard. Along with banning DEI programs, he recently announced that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to serve in the military. He also halted all gender-affirming medical care for service members. These moves are part of a broader effort to reshape the military in Trump’s vision—one that many argue is outdated and harmful.
As history has shown, change can happen when people—especially young people—take a stand. The question is: Will Hegseth and the Trump administration listen, or will they continue down this path?
Featured image via Screengrab
