Iowa schools re-shelving books following injunction of new law

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City school districts are re-shelving books in libraries and classrooms after a federal judge temporarily blocked much of a law passed last year in Iowa.

In a message sent to families and staff Friday, Iowa City schools’ Superintendent Matt Degner said the district is pausing work related to “curtailing the books available in our libraries or classrooms.”

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Books that were removed from library shelves were returned, Degner said. This includes Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” which tells the story of a young African American girl after the Great Depression, and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a futuristic dystopian novel set in a patriarchal, white supremacist, totalitarian state, which has overthrown the U.S. It also includes "A Thousand Acres,“ a novel written by Jane Smiley, a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa.

The Iowa City Community School District released a list of about 70 book titles in October removed from schools to comply with the new law. The book titles were determined by a team of administrators, curriculum coordinators, teachers and teacher librarians who reviewed library and instructional materials in regard to the new requirements.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District also is re-shelving books following the injunction.

“The Cedar Rapids Community School District was preparing to comply with the actions of Senate File 496 by Jan. 1. With the judge’s injunction on December 29, 2023, we are aligning our school libraries to this injunction. All of our school library collections are available and searchable on our website,” Cedar Rapids schools spokesman Justin Schaefer said in an email to The Gazette.

Iowa City and Cedar Rapids aren’t the only school districts to remove dozens of titles from their libraries. Hundreds of books have been removed from Iowa schools as districts moved to comply with the new law, including works of classic literature like Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" and George Orwell's "1984." Opponents say the law is too broad, impedes on First Amendment rights and discriminates against LGBTQ students.

In December, a federal judge temporarily blocked Senate File 496 that banned books that depicted or described any of a list of sex acts from public schools and prohibited teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation before seventh grade, among a host of other regulations.

The portions of the law no longer enforceable are:

“We also will lift the new restrictions placed on teaching LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) topics at the elementary level,” Degner said. “In essence, we are returning to our practices that were in place before the implementation of (Senate File) 496, except for those portions we must continue to implement,” Degner said.

Remaining in effect is the portion of the law that requires a parent or guardian be notified if a student requests an accommodation related to gender identity.

The law took effect July 1, 2023, but the Iowa Department of Education would only be able to begin penalizing educators or administrators for violating the library restrictions beginning Jan. 1.

“We will not have long-term clarity on the impact of (Senate File) 496 until the lawsuit is completed,” Degner said. “While we navigate the legal landscape surrounding Senate File 496, the federal lawsuit, and the newly issued injunction, our primary focus remains on maintaining a safe, welcoming and respectful space for every student,” Degner said.

“The well-being and inclusivity of our community continue to be our top priorities,” Degner said.

Iowa school districts this summer said they were waiting for guidance from the Department of Education before identifying books to remove from libraries. But department officials said they would not issue additional guidance beyond a summary of legislation.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com