On Thursday, Feb. 3, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds spoke out against students’ freedom of access to books at a Moms for Liberty event. Reynolds stated she believes that if a book is banned from one Iowa school, all other Iowa schools would also have to ban it. 

One week later, this outlandish proposal was followed by the introduction of Iowa Senate Study Bill 1145. This bill has the potential to become dangerous in conjunction with Reynolds’ proposal, as it would force school districts to keep an updated list of all materials they teach in classrooms on their website, as well as detailed information on how to request that a book be banned.

Strangely enough, the bill would also remove the requirement that schools educate students in grades 7-12 about AIDS or HPV, as well as the vaccines that can help prevent said diseases. 

Reynolds’ fear mongering when it comes to book bans has long been a part of her political strategy. In her Condition of the State address over a year ago, she played into Iowa parents’ growing concerns about the material their children are exposed to, calling books exploring topics of sexual identity ‘vulgar’ and ‘X-rated.’ 

These claims are completely unfounded. The books used in public school libraries and classrooms go through a rigorous selection process driven by a board of content experts with backgrounds in education. 

One such content expert, Pleasant Valley Humanities and AP Language and Composition teacher Dr. Lynne Lundberg, is appalled at Reynolds’ new proposal. “The specific goal of allowing one ban in one part of the state to force teachers everywhere in the state into thinking about whether they dare teach a book, is chilling. That is stifling free speech, it’s stifling academic freedom, it’s stifling the ability of teachers to challenge their students appropriately,” said Lundberg.

In addition to carefully selecting supplemental material for classroom use, content experts also ensure that all topics are taught in an age-appropriate manner. Pleasant Valley librarian Carissa McDonald is well aware of this. “All things that we learn, we do… at different ages. You don’t give kindergarteners all of the information… It’s tiered, it’s scaffolded through education, and it’s appropriate to do that for any topic,” said McDonald. 

Reynold’s prudish views are not only unfounded, but also harmful. Studies show that when a school implements LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, LGBTQ studies are bullied less and achieve more academically. Students of color also experience similar positive effects when they’re represented in a school’s curriculum. Explicitly banning these beneficial educational elements would be a massive step backwards for Iowa schools.

Pleasant Valley librarian Carissa McDonald is well aware of this reality. “It’s important for kids to learn about gender identity and race at an early age because kids are living it, and to pretend that it’s not out there is just damaging to those kids. But for those kids who aren’t living it, an awareness of their peers and the value of their peers is important too,” McDonald said. 

Reynolds’ recent proclamations are not the disease, but the symptom. Groups like the ironically-named Moms for Liberty threaten the academic freedom of students everywhere. If students, parents, and teachers alike don’t band together, First Amendment rights could soon be entirely gone from the classroom.

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on February 14, 2023.