A federal judge has temporarily blocked an Iowa law that bans certain books in libraries and restricts discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.
The law, signed by the governor earlier this year, has faced legal challenges on the grounds of being unconstitutional.
The judge found that the law is overly broad and may not satisfy the First Amendment. (Trending: Donald Trump Breaks His Silence After Major Court Win)
The law has already led to the removal of many books from school libraries.
The judge also criticized the law for its impact on education about gender and relationships, and for imposing a puritanical view on school libraries.
“The underlying message is that there is no redeeming value to any such book even if it is a work of history, self-help guide, award-winning novel, or other piece of serious literature,” U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher wrote.
“In effect, the Legislature has imposed a puritanical ‘pall of orthodoxy’ over school libraries.”
However, the judge allowed the portion of the law that requires informing parents of a child’s request to change their name or pronouns to stand.
“The statute is therefore content-neutral but so wildly overbroad that every school district and elementary school teacher in the State has likely been violating it since the day the school year started,” the judge wrote.
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