Iowa Governor signs bill prohibiting teaching of sexual orientation to sixth graders.

Gov. Kim Reynolds Signs Ban on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Instruction in Iowa Classrooms

Reynolds signed seven bills centered on education into law Friday, and among them was Senate File 496, which requires that teachers instruct young children with “age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development.”

However, this new law bans sexual orientation and gender identity instruction in classrooms from kindergarten through sixth grade. School employees who violate this law will receive a warning for their first offense, followed by a hearing for a second violation. The hearing could result in “disciplinary action” in further instances.

Education Reform in Iowa

“This legislative session, we secured transformational education reform that puts parents in the driver’s seat, eliminates burdensome regulations on public schools, provides flexibility to raise teacher salaries, and empowers teachers to prepare our kids for their future,” Reynolds said in a statement.

Education is the great equalizer, and everyone involved — parents, educators, and our children — deserves an environment where they can thrive.

Reaction to the Ban

The bill passed in a majority vote of 57 to 38, with House Rep. Tracy Ehlert (D) absent on the day of the vote. This vote was cast along party lines.

“For all the LGBTQ+ kids and families who feel targeted by the Governor and her allies this session, we see you and we love you,” Iowa’s Democratic Whip Lindsay James wrote on Twitter. “You deserve the freedom to be yourself and be happy without interference from politicians. We’re going to keep fighting for you.”

Universal School Choice Program

This comes after Reynolds signed a bill at the beginning of this year establishing the state’s first universal school choice program.

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