Federal Judge Blocks Iowa's Law on Book Removals, Citing First Amendment Concerns

A federal judge has granted a temporary injunction blocking Iowa officials from enforcing a new state law aiming to remove books discussing gender identity or sexuality from classrooms. File Photo courtesy of Pixabay Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A federal judge has granted a temporary injunction blocking Iowa officials from enforcing a new state law aiming

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A federal judge in Iowa, Stephen Locher, issued a temporary injunction against a new state law (Senate File 496) intended to remove books discussing gender identity or sexuality from classrooms. The law, set to come into effect on January 1, was found by Judge Locher to be overly broad, leading to its current enforcement being blocked. Locher noted in his 46-page ruling that the law had already resulted in the removal of numerous books from school libraries, including nonfiction, classic fiction, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novels.

Senate File 496 faced criticism for its sweeping restrictions, which Locher stated were unlikely to meet First Amendment standards. The law, termed as “don’t say gay” or “don’t say trans,” was passed by Iowa lawmakers in April and signed by Republican Governor Kim Reynolds in May. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit in November, arguing the law caused irreparable harm to LGBTQ+ students and seeking its permanent blockage.

While Locher blocked key aspects of the law, he denied a part of the motion that would have prevented schools from notifying parents if a student requests a gender identity-related accommodation. Governor Reynolds expressed disappointment with the ruling, emphasizing that instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation should not be part of early education and that sexually explicit content, as defined by Iowa law, should not be in children’s school libraries.

In contrast, the ACLU of Iowa argued that the law goes beyond restricting obscene material, which is already prohibited, and dangerously targets books with LGBTQ characters and themes. They asserted that banning such books is un-American and harmful to students.

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