A proposal from Maryland Sen. Van Hollen that urged the return of nearly 400 banned books to the U.S. Naval Academy's library has been temporarily suspended with promises of further discussion among board members.

Van Hollen introduced the motion Monday, a month after academy officials were instructed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office to review and eliminate material that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), CBS News reported.

Which books were banned from the Naval Academy library?

The directive to remove certain books from the Naval Academy's Nimitz Library comes amid a broader initiative by the Trump administration to eliminate DEI content and programs from federal agencies, as well as organizations and institutions that receive federal funding. 

The Navy said it used keyword searches and identified 900 books that needed further review. They agreed on the list of nearly 400. 

Books about history, feminism, racism, the Holocaust and civil rights were among the 381 that were removed.

The list of banned books includes "Pursuing Trayvon Martin," which details the 2012 shooting of a Black teen, and "The Genesis of Misery," a non-fiction about gender conformity and life on other planets. 

Proposal to return banned books halted after debate 

Van Hollen, a member of the Naval Academy Board, introduced the motion to return the banned books on Monday.

"...the institution's commitment to academic freedom has for generations helped mold midshipmen into leaders," Van Hollen said in a statement. "That's why today I made a motion for the Board to recommend that the books removed from the Nimitz Library be promptly returned."

However, Van Hollen agreed to temporarily suspend his motion after a heated debate ended with Superintendent Vice Admiral Yvette Davids promising to brief the board on the subject within 30 days. 

During the meeting, Van Hollen read letters from constituents who he said were concerned about the ban. He called his proposal unprecedented but necessary, the Baltimore Banner reported. 

"People need to be aware of the fear that's being generated at many institutions around the country by the Trump administration's assault," he said. "We're seeing this play out at the Naval Academy and other colleges and universities across the country."

Two Republican board members, Sean Spicer and Rep. Ronnie Jackson, opposed Van Hollen's proposal but said they did not know enough about the issue to vote on the motion. 

Democratic Congressmembers Sara Elfreth and Tom Deluzio supported the motion. 

Maryland universities impacted by efforts to dismantle DEI

Multiple institutions in Maryland have been impacted by the Trump administration's efforts to purge DEI content and programs.

The Trump administration investigated Towson University for alleged racial discrimination related to its ties to The PhD Project, a nonprofit supporting minority doctoral students, which has implications for DEI efforts at the institution. 

More than 40 research grants and contracts at the University of Maryland, College Park were canceled in April due to cuts by the Trump administration, according to The Diamondback, the independent student newspaper associated with the university.