Bringing felony charges for teachers over 'obscene' books is not 'a good idea,' Iowa Senate leader says

The top Republican in the Iowa Senate said his colleague's idea to create felony criminal penalties for teachers and other school employees who give so-called "obscene" books to students is off the table.

"I think charging anyone with felonies for these types of things I don't think is a good idea," Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said Friday on a taping of "Iowa Press" on Iowa PBS.

Whitver's fellow Republican, Senate President Jake Chapman, R-Adel, has said he is drafting legislation that would create a new felony penalty if teachers or other school employees distribute what is defined as "obscene" content to students. Chapman has not yet filed his bill or provided details about how the proposed law would work.

In a text message Friday, Chapman said it's already a criminal offense to distribute obscene material to minors. Iowa's current law on obscenity explicitly states that it doesn't prohibit "the use of appropriate material for educational purposes" in schools, libraries and educational programs.

"The main issue is enforcement of the code and empowering parents to seek proper redress," Chapman said. "That has been and will continue to be my focus."

In a speech on the first day of the legislative session, Chapman described an allegedly "sinister agenda" in Iowa's schools and said some teachers are "disguising sexually obscene material as desired subject matter."

Asked about Chapman's comments, Whitver said that's not the approach he would take.

"That’s not how I try to communicate messages. What I think is the most effective way is to come up with ideas and make your case to the people of Iowa," he said on the program. "That’s what I’ve always tried to do and that’s what I’ll continue to do."

More on education: Iowa Legislature braces for heated debates on library books, private school scholarships

Discontent over the content of school library books has been simmering for weeks, as parents have approached school boards in Iowa and across the country to challenge literature that they describe as sexually explicit, vulgar and inappropriate for children.

The books often feature stories of LGBTQ people and people of color. Many students and librarians say that students can be trusted to make decisions for themselves and that, in some cases, the material has proved critical to students' understanding of who they are.

More on education: Iowa Senate President Jake Chapman says press, teachers have 'sinister agenda'

Whitver said he supports Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to require schools to publish lists of their curriculum materials and library books online for parents and the public to see. Reynolds has said some books "would be 'X-rated if they were movies."

"We’re hearing concerns from parents and our job is to listen to those concerns and try to address them," Whitver said. "I think adding transparency is a really good way to do that, make sure our parents have a seat at the table in their kids’ education, give them a process to address any concerns they have."

More on education: Iowa Gov. Reynolds targets 'X-rated' books in schools, 'transparency' in Condition of the State speech

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa teachers shouldn't be felons over books, senate leader says