Brainwashed Middle-School Students ‘Walk Out’ of U.S. Military School in Germany in Protest of Pete Hegseth

The students attend Patch Middle School in Stuttgart, Germany, and peacefully walked out of class for nearly an hour, according to three people familiar with the matter and a letter sent to parents by a school administrator.

Separately, a small group of adults dressed in civilian clothing — likely parents — gathered outside at Stuttgart and protested within view and earshot of Hegseth’s delegation, booing and chanting “DEI!”, according to video recorded by a reporter traveling with the secretary.

The protests were in response to President Donald Trump’s string of executive orders targeting diversity efforts throughout the U.S. government, directives Hegseth has carried out enthusiastically.

Since he took over the Pentagon, Black History Month celebrations and other similar events have been banned and access to select books in Defense Department schools attended by the children of U.S. service members have been restricted. Those moves have drawn criticism from parents and students alike.

Meanwhile, Assistant Principal Alexis Small wrote a letter to parents expressing the school’s support for the protests, although he did not mention Hegseth nor his policies by name.

The letter read:

Today at 1300, about 55 of our students walked out in protest of recent events. Students entered and exited the building in an orderly fashion and gathered outside in the courtyard for 50 minutes before returning to class.

DoDEA respects our students’ rights to peacefully express their opinions through speech and other means as long as it is done respectfully, does not interfere with the rights of others, and does not disrupt learning in the school.

Our school is committed to providing a safe environment where everyone is treated with respect and encouraged to help others.

Our teachers, administrators, and staff continue to reinforce a sense of positive school community, and we ask for your partnership in working with your child to discuss meaningful actions they can take to engage in our community.

Institutions such as Patch Middle School serve the children of U.S. military personnel and DoD civilians, providing children’s education tailored to the needs of military families.

While only a minority of students participated in the walkout, it is unclear why children of such a young age felt the need to engage in a political protest against the leader of the U.S. military.

The most likely explanation is that they were coerced into doing so by their parents, who despite working under Hegseth wish to undermine his leadership just weeks into his tenure.