Penguin Random House and Bestselling Authors Sue Iowa Over School Book Ban

The lawsuit argues that the law, which bans books with sexual content and limits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity, violates the First and 14th Amendments.

Penguin Random House, the nation's largest publisher, and four bestselling authors have filed a federal lawsuit against an Iowa law that bans books in schools and limits what can be taught on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The law, SF 496, signed by Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in May, requires K-12 school libraries to only carry books deemed 'age-appropriate' and to exclude any book with descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act.
The lawsuit argues that the law violates the First and 14th Amendments, discriminates against LGBTQ+ viewpoints and authors, and deprives students of literature that portrays critical aspects of the human experience.
Books that have been proposed for removal under the law include award-winning novels such as 'The Color Purple', 'Ulysses', and 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
This is the second lawsuit filed against the Iowa law in a week, following a lawsuit by Lambda Legal, the ACLU of Iowa, and the law firm Jenner & Block LLP.