Name: TrendPulse
Rating: 4.8 (150 reviews)

Education

Appeals court allows Iowa to enforce book bans, restrictions on LBGTQ topics in classes

Comments:

by Lexi Lonas Cochran - 04/07/26 9:34 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Lexi Lonas Cochran - 04/07/26 9:34 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday to allow Iowa to enforce a ban on LBGTQ books and topics in public school classrooms after a lower court judge issued a temporarily ban on the law last year.

The state has been fighting LGBTQ groups and publishing companies since 2023 when the law was signed that K-12 libraries could not have books that depict sex acts.

“This is a huge win for Iowa parents,” said Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R). “Parents should always know that school is a safe place for their children to learn, not be concerned they are being indoctrinated with inappropriate sexual materials and philosophies. I am grateful that our law protecting children was upheld today.”

A lower court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the law saying it was overly broad and could include books with “undeniable political, artistic, literary, and/or scientific value,” such as “1984.”

The three-judge panel reversed this decision and another that said schools could not block the “promotion” or provide programs “relating to gender identity.”

The judges also ruled they believe the plaintiffs will fail on the merits because they did not sue based on individual claims that their rights were infringed upon by this law, but rather a broader interpretation the law was unconstitutional.

“When the Plaintiffs elected to litigate the constitutionality of §279.80(2) solely as a facial challenge, they chose to carry the risk of having to show that unconstitutional applications substantially outweighed the constitutional applications,” the judges wrote.

“Because there is an inadequate showing to demonstrate the unconstitutional applications of Iowa Code § 279.80(2) substantially outweigh the constitutional ones, Plaintiffs cannot show a likelihood of success on the merits, and the entry of a preliminary injunction was improper,” they added.

The case will go to the lower court to continue litigation while the state is now allowed to enforce the law until a final ruling is reached.

“This ruling is a setback, but it is not the end of this fight,” said Nathan Maxwell, senior attorney at Lambda Legal, one of the group’s involved in the lawsuit against Iowa’s law. “Iowa’s SF 496 is a cruel and unconstitutional law that silences LGBTQ+ children, erases their existence from classrooms, and forces educators to expose vulnerable students to potential harm at home. We will continue to use every legal tool available to protect these young people. They deserve nothing less.”

Add as preferred source on Google