Temporarily blocked banned books and “don’t say LGBTQ” law
We filed a lawsuit and won a temporary block of SF 496, the sweeping Iowa law that seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase any recognition of LGBTQ+ people from public schools, and ban books with sexual or LGBTQ+ content.
Protected students’ right to protest in Atlantic
After a local resident in 2023 urged the Atlantic, Iowa, school board to adopt a "protest policy" to prohibit any student demonstration unless it's outside of educational instruction time and not on school property, the ACLU of Iowa sent a letter to the Atlantic Public School Board advising that this would violate fundamental free speech rights of students. According to news reports, the school board took no further action on the "protest policy" request.
Working to end school resource officer (SRO) programs
Police officers in schools do exactly what they are trained to do—question, detain, handcuff, and arrest. This leads to greater alienation and a more threatening school environment, especially for students of color. We urge school boards across Iowa to end SRO programs and stop feeding the school-to-prison pipeline. Find out more.
Opposing “The 1619 Project” ban
In 2020, legislation was introduced to ban public schools, community colleges, and state universities from using “any United States history curriculum that in whole or in part is derived" from the 1619 Project.” The 1619 Project is a New York Times Pulitzer-Prize winning series led by a Black woman from Waterloo that discussed the devastating and continuing impact of slavery. The bill did not pass in the Iowa Legislature.
Advocating for rules curtailing seclusion and restraint in schools
For years, educators in Iowa public schools have used "seclusion rooms" and restraints on students for infractions like refusing to trace in pencil, stepping out of line at recess, and pouting. We supported new rules regulating their use in 2020.
Speaking out against racist harassment in schools
In 2020 a Charles City High School baseball player was taunted with racist comments during an away game. We issued a statement warning that schools have a legal obligation under state and federal law to protect their students from racial discrimination in school, including in school sports. If schools fail to do so, they can be sued.
Supporting student protest rights
In anticipation of planned student walkouts across Iowa to protest gun violence in 2018, we sent an open letter to all Iowa public schools to provide information about ensuring students' free speech rights. We encouraged schools to embrace—rather than discourage—students' nonviolent demonstrations.
Fighting for students’ free speech rights
We represented a Newton High School transgender student who was taken to the principal’s office for writing “love trumps hate” on his arm in 2017. The case was resolved after the employees involved expressed their regrets to the student about the incident, and the school agreed to training on civil rights protections for transgender students and students' free speech rights.
Opposing requirements to recite the Pledge of Allegiance
In 2016, the Waukee School Board considered requiring all students in the district to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. We immediately reminded the district that if it were to require students to recite the pledge, it would be a clear violation of the First Amendment.
Helping protect immigrant students from discrimination
Public schools must be safe places to learn and be free from harassment and intimidation based on immigration status or ethnicity. The ACLU of Iowa sent a letter educating immigrant students, their families, and administrators about the constitutional rights of immigrants in schools in 2016. See the letter.
Keeping body cameras out of schools
Iowa's public schools should be safe places for students to learn and express themselves, not to be monitored by school officials wearing body cameras.
Defending student freedom of religion
For decades, the ACLU of Iowa has brought lawsuits in school districts where students have complained about religious views being forced on them, including a case where two high school students in Dunlap were required to sing The Lord's Prayer.
We also issued an advisory to school officials about avoiding school assemblies that have a religious message that proslytizes students, often with homophobic content.
Preserving students’ free speech rights on social media
Bullying has no place in Iowa's schools, but neither does monitoring student speech 24/7. That's why we successfully fought against a key provision of an anti-bullying bill that required administrators to monitor student social media activity in an unconstitutional manner.
Defending the rights of pregnant and parenting teens
Being pregnant or a young parent should not prevent you from getting an education in Iowa. Find out more.
Tinker v. Des Moines win
Tinker was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1969. Three Des Moines students, including Mary Beth and John Tinker, were forbidden from wearing black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. We defended them and won a landmark case for student free speech.
