Iowa’s teachers union has called on public school superintendents to return to the shelves books that have been banned and removed under a far-reaching education law that has been halted by a federal judge’s injunction.
Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek sent an email to superintendents at all of Iowa’s 325 public school districts Tuesday morning, making the request. The association sent a similar letter to more than 2,500 union leaders Monday.
While the federal injunction remains in place , “any books removed from your school district’s classroom or library shelves in an attempt to comply with Senate File 496 should be returned,” Beranek wrote in the letter to school superintendents.
Related: After federal judge’s injunction on Iowa’s book ban law, confusion and concerns linger
Under Senate File 496 , Iowa school districts are banned from instruction and curriculum pertaining to gender identity and sexual orientation through the sixth grade, and most books depicting sex acts are barred from schools . The law also requires school administrators to inform a child’s caregiver if they request to use a different name or pronouns.