A professor at Iowa State University released a class syllabus threatening disciplinary action against any student who expresses conservative views in class, including being pro-life or opposition to Black Lives Matter, as reported by Fox News
The class is English 250, which focuses on “written, oral, visual, and electronic composition” as part of the school’s broader “Communication Proficiency” general education requirement. The class is taught by professor Chloe Clark, who put the words “GIANT WARNING” at the top of the syllabus before the section in question.
The syllabus declared that “instances of othering,” including “sexism, ableism, and homophobia,” would be banned in classroom discussions. “The same goes for any papers/projects,” the syllabus continued. “You cannot choose any topic that takes as its base that one side doesn’t deserve the same basic human rights as you do (i.e., no arguments against gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter, etc.).” The section ended with the line “I take this seriously.”
When the syllabus was brought to the media’s attention, the university – which, as a public school, is funded by taxpayers – released a statement condemning the syllabus as “inconsistent with the university’s standards and its commitment to the First Amendment rights of students.” The statement mentioned that “after reviewing this issue with the faculty member, the syllabus has been corrected to ensure it is consistent with university policy.”