Iowa's largest teachers union, the largest publisher in America and four bestselling authors are suing the state over its new education law that bans books that depict sex acts from schools.
The Iowa State Education Association, Penguin Random House and four authors — Laurie Halse Anderson; John Green; Malinda Lo; and Jodi Picoult — filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa.
The plaintiffs also include Scott Bonz, the parent of a senior at Urbandale High School; and educators Mari Butler Abry, Alyson Browder and Daniel Gutmann, who say they have been forced to remove books from their libraries and classrooms in response to the law.
They're seeking to block the law's ban on all books in K-12 schools that contain depictions or descriptions of sex acts and to have that portion of the law declared unconstitutional for violating the First and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
“Our mission of connecting authors and their stories to readers around the world contributes to the free flow of ideas and perspectives that is a hallmark of American democracy — and we will always stand by it,” Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya said in a statement. “We know that not every book we publish will be for every reader, but we must protect the right for all Americans, including students, parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians, to have equitable access to books and to continue to decide what they read.”
It's the second lawsuit filed this week over Senate File 496, a wide-ranging education law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this year. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed suit on Tuesday on behalf of eight Iowa students and their families, as well as Iowa Safe Schools, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ students.
The Iowa State Education Association, Penguin Random House and four authors — Laurie Halse Anderson; John Green; Malinda Lo; and Jodi Picoult — filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa.
The plaintiffs also include Scott Bonz, the parent of a senior at Urbandale High School; and educators Mari Butler Abry, Alyson Browder and Daniel Gutmann, who say they have been forced to remove books from their libraries and classrooms in response to the law.
They're seeking to block the law's ban on all books in K-12 schools that contain depictions or descriptions of sex acts and to have that portion of the law declared unconstitutional for violating the First and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
“Our mission of connecting authors and their stories to readers around the world contributes to the free flow of ideas and perspectives that is a hallmark of American democracy — and we will always stand by it,” Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya said in a statement. “We know that not every book we publish will be for every reader, but we must protect the right for all Americans, including students, parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians, to have equitable access to books and to continue to decide what they read.”
It's the second lawsuit filed this week over Senate File 496, a wide-ranging education law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this year. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed suit on Tuesday on behalf of eight Iowa students and their families, as well as Iowa Safe Schools, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ students.
Largest US publisher, bestselling authors sue over Iowa law banning K-12 books with sex acts
Penguin Random House and bestselling authors like John Green and Jodi Picoult are suing Iowa over a law banning school books that depict sex acts.
www.press-citizen.com
