Iowa School Book-Removal Law Blocked by Skeptical Judge

A major publisher, authors, students, and others convinced a federal judge Friday to block enforcement of an Iowa law that requires books to be removed from public school libraries if they contain a description of a sex act.

The law, for which penalties were set to start Jan. 1, 2024, is likely unconstitutional, Judge Stephen H. Locher of the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa said. Penguin Random House LLC and other plaintiffs, who filed two separate suits against state and local officials, are likely to succeed in their underlying lawsuit, Locher said.

He granted a ...