You may remember that pro-abortionist faculty from the University of Idaho and Boise State University filed a lawsuit last month challenging our state law that prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or provide abortions.
The faculty members allege that the No Public Funds For Abortion Act has “stifled free and open academic inquiry about abortion across Idaho’s public universities” by creating “widespread uncertainty” over what instructional content promotes abortion and is thus prohibited under the law.
To be clear, the No Public Funds For Abortion Act simply prohibits faculty members from personally advocating abortion in the classroom. It does not prohibit classroom discussion on topics and controversies related to abortion if faculty members maintain neutrality in how they present the issue.
But activist professors aren’t letting the clear text of the law get in the way of their political theater.
In court documents, faculty members say they have been forced to “strip entire modules that address abortion out of their courses [and] remove assigned reading materials addressing abortion” out of “fear” they will be prosecuted for under the law.
Even more preposterously, some faculty members have also expressed concerns that “positively grading papers that take a pro-abortion stance or negatively grading papers that take an anti-abortion stance could be construed as promoting or counseling in favor of abortion under the NPFAA.”
Funnily enough—we have proof they know they’re lying about their overblown claims.
Last year, attorneys for the University of Idaho sent a legal memo to school faculty summarizing the requirements of the No Public Funds For Abortion Act. The memo, which included examples of permitted and prohibited conduct, explained that “having classroom discussions on topics related to abortion” is allowed under the law—so long as faculty and instructors “themselves remain neutral on the topic.”
Despite all of the drama, it’s clear that the university attorneys understand the law and adequately briefed faculty on what it means for the classroom. Maybe the professors should consider a career change—after all, their talent for fictional storytelling might be better suited for stand-up comedy than classroom education!
