Iowa State University Professor Chloe Clark claimed in her syllabus that she would ban students from her classroom if they criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, amongst other progressive causes. Clark was forced to revise her syllabus after university officials told her that it violated the First Amendment.
According to a report by the College Fix, Iowa State University Professor Chloe Clark told students in one of her English courses this month that they would be removed from the course if they criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, gay marriage, or abortion rights.
“[A]ny 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,” the syllabus reads.
Clark said that the policy extended to open-ended class assignments: “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.”
In a statement released on Monday, Iowa State said that the professor’s speech policies were inconsistent with the First Amendment. Iowa State announced that it has forced Clark to revise her syllabus.
The syllabus statement as written was inconsistent with the university’s standards and its commitment to the First Amendment rights of students. After reviewing this issue with the faculty member, the syllabus has been corrected to ensure it is consistent with university policy. Moreover, the faculty member is being provided additional information regarding the First Amendment policies of the university.
Iowa State is firmly committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of its students, faculty, and staff. 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.
Breitbart News reported in January that Iowa State University was facing a lawsuit over three policies that allegedly stifled free speech. The university agreed to revoke its policies on campus chalking and emails as part of a settlement agreement.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more campus updates.
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