Iowa State University administrators reprimanded an English instructor after she forbade students from making arguments against abortion, gay marriage and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Students who signed up for ISU assistant professor Chloe Clark’s English 250 class this semester were given a “giant warning” on their syllabus.
“Any instances of othering that you participate in intentionally (racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, sorophobia, transphobia, classism, mocking of mental health issues, body shaming, etc.) in class are grounds for dismissal from the classroom,” Clark wrote, according to a copy of the syllabus obtained by Young Americans for Freedom.
“The same goes for any papers/projects: you cannot choose any topic that takes at its base that one side doesn’t deserve the same basic human rights as you do (ie: no arguments against gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter, etc). I take this seriously,” the syllabus continued.
Clark also offered to provide a “trigger warning” to students who might be disturbed by some of the “viewings/readings” in her assignments.
“If, at any point, you would like a Trigger Warning before viewings/readings that may contain this imagery, please let me know and I’m happy to provide them!” she wrote.
After the syllabus went viral online, university administrators released a statement saying the syllabus “was inconsistent with the university’s standards and its commitment to the First Amendment.”
Clark was forced to correct the syllabus, according to administrators, and she is “being provided additional information regarding the First Amendment policies of the university.”
ISU clarified that no student would be punished for expressing a viewpoint that differs from Clark’s or any other faculty member’s.
“Iowa State is firmly committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of its students, faculty, and staff,” said the school in a statement.
“With respect to student expression in the classroom, including the completion of assignments, the university does not take disciplinary action against students based on the content or viewpoints expressed in their speech,” the school said.
