An Iowa State University professor is accused of organizing a syllabus that threatens the removal of students who submit work that includes “arguments against gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter” and a score of other social issues.
Written under “GIANT WARNING,” English Professor Chloe Clark cautioned students: “I take this seriously.” She warned them not to “choose any topic that takes at its base that one side doesn’t deserve the same basic human rights as you do.”
Professor Clark’s syllabus for English 250 is included in students’ Communication and Proficiency graduation requirements.
This comes after the Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth organization, obtained the syllabus from an anonymous source through the Campus Bias Tip Line.
NEW: An Iowa State University professor has threatened to kick students out of her class for expressing pro-life or anti-BLM viewpoints.
"No arguments against gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter, etc," her syllabus states.
My latest for @YAF: https://t.co/BnnfhDcdoJ
— Kara Zupkus (@kara_kirsten) August 17, 2020
In a statement for FOX News, the university described the fallout as “inconsistent with the university’s standards and its commitment to the First Amendment rights of students.”
This is not the first time Iowa State University has been confronted with free speech on campus.
In January, the institution banned chalking on many campus sidewalks after students were found writing political messages.
This incident was followed by a statement by Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen, underscoring that the university “does not punish individuals for their constitutionally protected rights to expression.”
Ultimately, the university has stayed consistent with its stance on the First Amendment in its disapproval of Clark’s syllabus.
