Iowa State professor says students 'cannot' submit papers with view points opposing BLM, abortion

A professor of English at Iowa State University found herself in hot water with the administration after posting a syllabus that threatened to dismiss students that purposefully engage in "instances of othering," which include statements that she interprets to be racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, and a variety of other classifications.

Chloe Clark, a professor at the taxpayer-funded university, included in her English 250 syllabus a "GIANT WARNING," telling students that when working on papers and projects in her class, "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 was originally obtained by the Young Americans Foundation.

The university has since released a statement describing Clark's syllabus as "inconsistent" with its commitment to the First Amendment and the First Amendment rights of its 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," said a statement from the institution of higher education.

"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," continued the statement. 

The state school issued a statement in support of Black Lives Matter, following the death of George Floyd on May 25, pledging to "commit to a critical examination of our own policies and practices, from classroom teaching to faculty and staff recruitment, to ensure that they are truly equitable."