Iowa school districts would be barred from taking disciplinary action against teachers who don’t use a student’s preferred name or pronouns under legislation being considered by state lawmakers.
Senate File 8 was advanced by the Iowa Senate Education Subcommittee after nearly half an hour of testimony from lobbyists, parents and a student on Thursday.
The bill would prohibit school governing boards from disciplining employees, contractors or students for using an employee’s or student’s legal name, in the form of termination or suspension of employment, detention or expulsion from school and financial, written or verbal reprimands. A similar bill was proposed in the legislature in 2024.
Fourteen-year-old Barry Stevens who uses they/them pronouns, said this bill would enable bullying against LGBTQ students like they have experienced.
“Your actions like this bill have shown that you either don't believe us, or you don't care,” Stevens said during the subcommittee meeting. “How do you expect students to learn in an environment where all they're going to be thinking about is their safety? It is your job to provide that safe environment.”
Elaine Peterson, a teacher and mother of a nonbinary child, said the bill would fail to honor her rights as a parent when she has shared her child's preferred pronouns with their school
“It is my choice to support my child, and it is my choice to share my child's preferred name pronouns with their school,” Peterson said. “Please do not invalidate my parental choice simply because it does not match your ideology.”
Chuck Hurley, representing The Family Leader, a conservative Christian group, said bills like this have protected teachers across the country who have been punished for not calling transgender and nonbinary students their preferred names. He pointed to civil lawsuits in Ohio and Virginia that were settled in favor of the teachers.
“It would be unwise for Iowa to go down the same path (of facing lawsuits). I'm a taxpayer, you're a taxpayer, and the taxpayers are going to be footing these bills,” Hurley said. “To allow a public school to discipline a teacher who's speaking truth and then have a lawsuit right against that school is just to me, silly.”
Amber William, a lobbyist for an organization called Inspired Life, spoke about an incident in which a student was scolded by a teacher for not using their correct pronouns. She argued the bill would protect students and teachers from experiencing ideological pressure.
“This incident raises concerns about ideological pressure in schools and underscores the need for clear policies to protect students from being penalized for their beliefs,” Williams said.
Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, said teachers should leave their personal beliefs outside the classroom
“Teachers should be reprimanded if they cannot do their job with fidelity by protecting and treating all people in their classroom with dignity, period,” Donahue said.
Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, said the bill would protect teachers’ religious beliefs and First Amendment rights.
“The Constitution and the First Amendment protect somebody's right to speak and also not to speak, this bill here is making that crystal clear,” Green said.
The bill was advanced 2-1, with Donahue declining to sign on.
The House Education Subcommittee advanced a companion bill, House File 80, on Tuesday.
www.thegazette.com
Senate File 8 was advanced by the Iowa Senate Education Subcommittee after nearly half an hour of testimony from lobbyists, parents and a student on Thursday.
The bill would prohibit school governing boards from disciplining employees, contractors or students for using an employee’s or student’s legal name, in the form of termination or suspension of employment, detention or expulsion from school and financial, written or verbal reprimands. A similar bill was proposed in the legislature in 2024.
Fourteen-year-old Barry Stevens who uses they/them pronouns, said this bill would enable bullying against LGBTQ students like they have experienced.
“Your actions like this bill have shown that you either don't believe us, or you don't care,” Stevens said during the subcommittee meeting. “How do you expect students to learn in an environment where all they're going to be thinking about is their safety? It is your job to provide that safe environment.”
Elaine Peterson, a teacher and mother of a nonbinary child, said the bill would fail to honor her rights as a parent when she has shared her child's preferred pronouns with their school
“It is my choice to support my child, and it is my choice to share my child's preferred name pronouns with their school,” Peterson said. “Please do not invalidate my parental choice simply because it does not match your ideology.”
Chuck Hurley, representing The Family Leader, a conservative Christian group, said bills like this have protected teachers across the country who have been punished for not calling transgender and nonbinary students their preferred names. He pointed to civil lawsuits in Ohio and Virginia that were settled in favor of the teachers.
“It would be unwise for Iowa to go down the same path (of facing lawsuits). I'm a taxpayer, you're a taxpayer, and the taxpayers are going to be footing these bills,” Hurley said. “To allow a public school to discipline a teacher who's speaking truth and then have a lawsuit right against that school is just to me, silly.”
Amber William, a lobbyist for an organization called Inspired Life, spoke about an incident in which a student was scolded by a teacher for not using their correct pronouns. She argued the bill would protect students and teachers from experiencing ideological pressure.
“This incident raises concerns about ideological pressure in schools and underscores the need for clear policies to protect students from being penalized for their beliefs,” Williams said.
Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, said teachers should leave their personal beliefs outside the classroom
“Teachers should be reprimanded if they cannot do their job with fidelity by protecting and treating all people in their classroom with dignity, period,” Donahue said.
Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, said the bill would protect teachers’ religious beliefs and First Amendment rights.
“The Constitution and the First Amendment protect somebody's right to speak and also not to speak, this bill here is making that crystal clear,” Green said.
The bill was advanced 2-1, with Donahue declining to sign on.
The House Education Subcommittee advanced a companion bill, House File 80, on Tuesday.
Lawmakers advance bill to protect teachers from punishment for failing to use preferred names, pronouns
Iowa school districts would be barred from taking disciplinary action against teachers who don’t use a student’s preferred name or pronouns under legislation being considered by state lawmakers.
www.thegazette.com
