 | Parts of this article (those related to Outcome of case) need to beupdated. The reason given is:The judge issued an order in fall 2025. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2026) |
| E.K et al v. Department of Defense Education Activity et al | |
|---|---|
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| Court | United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia |
| Full case name | E.K. and S.K., minors, by and through their parent and next friend LINDSEY KEELEY; O.H., S.H., and H.H., minors, by and through their parent and next friend, JESSICA HENNINGER; E.G., a minor, by and through his parent and next friend MEGAN JEBELES; E.Y. and C.Y. minors, by and through their parent and next friend ANNA YOUNG; L.K., L.K., and L.K., minors, by and through their parent and next friend ANNA KENKEL; and M.T., a minor, by and through her parent NATALIE TOLLEY, v. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY; DR. BETH SCHIAVINO-NARVAEZ, in her official capacity as Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity; and PETER BRIAN HEGSETH, in his official capacity as Secretary of Defense, |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Patricia Tolliver Giles |
E.K. v. Department of Defense Education Activity is a case pending in theU.S District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia brought by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Virginia, and ACLU of Kentucky. The complaint claims that Trump'sExecutive Orders 14168,14185, and14190 violate the First Amendment on their face and in the way they are being used by defendants. The executive orders aim to removegender ideology,DEI, andcritical race theory and aim to remove them from schools. The case specifically relates to application in military schools of Executive Order 14190, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling".[1][2][3][4][5]
On April 15, 2025, the lawsuit was filed and claim that multiple books based on civil rights—To Kill a Mockingbird,Fahrenheit 451,Well-Read Black Girl—have been banned because of the executive orders. The First Amendment claims rely on the Supreme Court caseIsland Trees School District v. Pico (1982).[1][3] The judge for the case isPatricia Tolliver Giles.[2][3]
