On June 3, 2026, the NAEd filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in E.K. v. Department of Defense Education Activity, opposing the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)’s censorship of curriculum, removal of books, and restriction of Advanced Placement Psychology content in schools serving the children of military families.
The brief explains that the DoDEA’s 161 pre-K -12th grade schools have long served a racially and culturally diverse student population and have been recognized for providing a high-quality education while narrowing racial and socio-economic achievement gaps. The challenged actions reverse that tradition by removing references to slavery, civil rights, race, ethnicity, immigration, diversity, sexual orientation, and gender identity from DoDEA school curricula and by banning nearly 600 books from their school libraries.
The NAEd brief draws on extensive interdisciplinary research demonstrating that inclusive curricula and pedagogical practices support students’ academic achievement, cognitive development, social and emotional wellbeing, reading comprehension, and preparation for civic life in a multicultural democracy. The brief also explains that DoDEA’s arbitrary censorship and removal of portions of the nationally adopted AP Psychology curriculum places DoDEA students at a disadvantage on AP exams, in college admissions, and in earning college credit.