Disgruntled Republican lawmakers who last month pummeled the University of Iowa College of Dentistry with questions about its treatment of a conservative student leveled more questions and criticism Tuesday at UI officials.
“I believe you have a systemic problem that needs to be addressed,” Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, told UI Dental College Dean David Johnsen, Provost Kevin Kregel and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Executive Officer Liz Tovar at a government oversight committee hearing.
“Since your last appearance before this committee, I’ve received numerous pieces of correspondence, some from students, who want to share their own horror story about the cancel culture they’re experiencing at your school and what they see as the faculty and staff’s participation in it,” Holt said. “I’ve also received letters from dentists disgusted that politics have been interjected into the school.”
by Rep. Dustin Hite
It was another busy week at the Statehouse. I started on Monday by taking the gavel and sitting in the Speaker’s chair for the opening of Monday’s session. The rest of the week was filled with committees and subcommittees and is now ending with a blizzard. On Tuesday evening, the Iowa House passed House File 228, a bill which removes the ability of school districts to deny requests for open enrollment due to voluntary diversity plans adopted by the school districts. There are currently five districts in the state with voluntary diversity plans Des Moines, Waterloo, Postville, West Liberty, and Davenport and this bill now gives students in those districts the same option as students in all other districts to open enroll out.
University of Iowa dean apologizes to conservative student after stifling freedom of speech
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Karen TownsendPosted at 11:31 am on February 6, 2021
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The dean of the UI College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics at the University of Iowa issued an apology to a conservative dental student this week. The kerfuffle happened back in October over an executive order signed by President Trump in September to end some diversity and inclusion training on federally funded college campuses. The dean criticized Trump’s action and then tried to deny a conservative student’s right to voice his opinion of the dean’s behavior.
Leaders from all three of Iowa s public universities Tuesday apologized to lawmakers for egregious incidents on their respective campuses that suppressed First Amendment rights and quelled free speech - largely affecting conservative students - and they all committed to enacting change and taking corrective action.
By Vanessa Miller, Special to the Globe Gazette
Leaders from all three of Iowaâs public universities on Tuesday apologized to lawmakers for âegregiousâ incidents on their campuses that suppressed First Amendment rights and quelled free speech â largely affecting conservative students â and committed to taking corrective action.
âSince October, weâve been reviewing what happened, how the process worked and didnât work, and weâre working to implement steps that will prevent this from happening again,â University of Iowa College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen told the House Oversight Committee, while speaking about his decision in October to send a mass email to the college condemning a White House executive order barring certain types of diversity training.