Meeting Public Comments

Wendy Tillgren

OPPOSE: Sanitizing history to make it more palatable does not thing to increase understanding and awareness. Whatnot does it lead us to a place to where history repeats itself, and end up in the position we are in with a government trying its best to repeat the 1940s. Education in these areas is the only way to prevent this resurgence.

Evelyn Nikkel [PELLA PAC]

Absolutely in favor!! Yes, quit teaching color, inclusion or whatever is more important than character and meritbased qualifications. President Trump is already yanking this madeup delusional garbage out of our schools, military and federal organizations. Yes, thank you for stopping the political posturing that is used to discriminate against qualified, good people in favor of less competent and/or experienced people who meet some false standards! Praise God for making it common sense sanity!!!

Joe Monahan

Iowa State performance testing clearly show that injecting BLM / CRT ideology into schools detracts from the academic performance of all students. Schools must focus on academics and avoid the half truths, academic dishonesty and antiintellectual of DEI indoctrination. Some school districts, like Iowa City, waste over $1,000,000 every year on this nonsense. It hurts everyone it touches and needs to go away.

Rebekah Jacobs

Please vote OPPOSED TO SF282. Removing history from history class creates an ignorant nation. Removing diversity from schools doesn't make everyone equal; it leaves many behind. Every person deserves to be taught about their heritage, their history. How does one teach about the stonewall riots without mentioning diversity? Or the women's rights movement? The civil war, or World War 2? Iowans are capable of having difficult conversations full of nuance and complexities. We don't want a sanitized history, we want the truth.

Katie Peterson

I oppose this bill. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion education is necessary for developing empathy and uniting people. It's rich that this bill is called the "Freedom from indoctrination act" because this bill is written to indoctrinate students into white supremacy.

Shannan Barnes

I strongly oppose the proposed bill that seeks to prohibit certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and critical race theory (CRT). This bill is an attempt to undermine the essential principles of diversity, equality, and academic freedom that are integral to higher education.The inclusion of DEI initiatives and critical race theory within academic institutions provides a vital platform for students and faculty to engage in thoughtful discussions about race, privilege, and systemic inequality. These frameworks not only contribute to a richer, more inclusive learning environment but also prepare students for an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. Removing or limiting these initiatives stifles critical thinking and marginalizes the experiences and voices of historically underrepresented groups.Furthermore, this bill poses a direct threat to the academic freedom of faculty, as it restricts their ability to teach and engage in research that reflects the complexities of society. Academic institutions should be spaces where scholars are free to explore diverse ideas, challenge dominant narratives, and foster dialogue on critical social issues. The proposed bill would silence these important conversations and hinder the pursuit of knowledge in a way that is detrimental to both students and the broader community.In conclusion, this bill not only undermines the core values of higher education but also disregards the importance of creating inclusive spaces where all individuals can thrive. I urge lawmakers to reject this bill and prioritize policies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion as vital components of a wellrounded education.

Shawna Anderson

I strongly oppose SF282. As a 45 year old adult, Ive been shocked to learn how many of the history lessons I have been taught left out so much of importance. We cannot deny our children accurate history. We definitely cant deny accurate history while expecting our students to keep up with the rest of the world. Nobody is teaching racism. They are teaching history. On the subject of DEI, I dont understand why we wouldnt want to include diverse voices in our lives. I learned to listen to the experiences others face and learn from them. I believe that has made me someone that can deal with all kinds of people in my work life. Equity means ensuring people with disabilities have equal access. Are we a state that wants to deny access to someone in a wheelchair? Or a blind person? Those are the people that I most definitely believe should be included in our society. I dont want to go back to when we hid people out disabilities in some home where they receive subpar care because we dont want to include them because someone was afraid of a buzzword. This doesnt help Iowans. It only harms the least of us.

Lilly Froehlich

Strongly Oppose! In order to grow as a society, we must also acknowledge our past.

Kira Werstein

As both an educator and a parent of children in public schools, I strongly support SF282. I have personally witnessed the harmful effects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which often divide individuals based on demographic characteristics and foster adversarial group dynamics.More importantly, research and evidence reveal destructive consequences of DEI programs. A recent study found that, while intended to combat bias, many antioppressive DEI narratives actually increase hostile attribution bias, racial suspicion, prejudicial attitudes, authoritarian policing, and support for punitive behaviorseven in the absence of any transgression (Jagdeep et al., 2024).Additionally, another study demonstrated that participants exposed to DEI content were significantly more likely to endorse dehumanizing language, similar to authoritarian rhetoric. For example, individuals were more inclined to agree with statements demonizing certain groups, including referring to them as "parasites" (+35.4%), "viruses" (+33.8%), and "the devil personified" (+27.1%) (Jagdeep et al., 2024). These findings suggest that exposure to such narratives can unintentionally encourage the very forms of scapegoating and division that DEI programs seek to eliminate.A broader metaanalysis concluded that mainstream DEI training often produces complex and counterproductive effects, undermining its intended goals (Jagdeep et al., 2024). Given these concerns, I urge you to support SF282 to ensure that school focus on academics and education, rather than exacerbating division and hostility.Jagdeep, A., Jagdeep, A., Lazarus, S., Zecher, M., Fedida, O., Fihrer, G., Vasko, C., Finkelstein, J., Finkelstein, D. S., Yanovsky, S., Jussim, L., Paresky, P., & Viswanathan, I. (2024). Instructing animosity: How DEI pedagogy produces the hostile attribution bias. Rutgers University.Link: https://networkcontagion.us/wpcontent/uploads/InstructingAnimosity11.13.24.pdf

Trista Pierce

Please vote no. The bad and good in history should be taught. Not just bits and bits.

Sarah Tebbe

Strongly opposed. Vote no. As an English and Cultural Studies professor, I can speak to the fact that diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory are necessary content to understand our racist underpinnings and create a more equitable future. People who oppose DEI don't understand what it is.