A federal district court has temporarily blocked the implementation of an Iowa law, SF 496, that restricts education about gender identity and sexuality for elementary students and requires schools to remove sexually explicit materials from their libraries. A judge issued the injunction late on Friday, indicating the law likely violates First Amendment protections and was too broad. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who advocated for the law during last year’s legislative session, issued a written statement in response to the court’s ruling. She says, “I’m extremely disappointed in [Friday’s] ruling. Instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation has no place in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms. And there should be no question that books containing sexually explicit content—as clearly defined in Iowa law—do not belong in a school library for children. The fact that we’re even arguing these issues is ridiculous. The real debate should be about why society is so intent on over-sexualizing our young children. It’s wrong, and I will continue to do my part to protect their innocence.” Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird both signaled their intent to continue pushing for the bill’s full implementation. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, and Jenner & Block LLP filed the lawsuit on behalf of Iowa Safe Schools and LGBTQ+ students. While the plaintiff’s request for an injunction was approved, the court has yet to issue a final ruling on the constitutionality of the law.
