“Congress caused real and unnecessary harm to our country’s military families by including Section 589 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Despite its misleading name, this language would limit the rights of parents while imposing burdensome, unnecessary requirements on schools operated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Section 589 would damage parent/teacher relationships and make our schools less safe and effective while doing nothing to boost education outcomes.

“America’s moms want all schools to be safe and inclusive and to value our rich diversity; for parents to be respected; and for educators to be able to be honest about their identities. We want teachers to be allowed to teach our country’s truths, good and bad, so we can learn from the past and move forward as a nation. Section 589 undermines all that. It could facilitate the banning of books, particularly those that provide the much-needed viewpoints of our Black, Brown, AAPI, religious-minority, and LGBTQ+ communities. It could prevent our students from accessing unbiased health information. It could prevent schools from welcoming all youth, regardless of income, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and ensuring they are safe and included.

“Rightwing members of Congress are using the DOD school system to advance their dangerous, unpopular agenda, which foments cruelty and division. Military families will suffer as a result. They should be ashamed.”