Jenner & Block, Lambda Legal, and ACLU of Iowa Challenge Law Targeting LGBTQ+ Youth

In partnership with Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Iowa, Jenner & Block filed a lawsuit to block SF 496, a sweeping new law that went into effect this fall in Iowa with wide-ranging implications for LGBTQ+ students’ academic experience, safe school climate, and mental health. The law targets LGBTQ+ youth and requires school districts to ban books.

The law forbids any program, curriculum, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation in grades K-6, bans books with LGBTQ+ or sexual content with an explicit exception for the Bible, and requires teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and other staff to report students to their parents or guardians if a student asks to be referred to by names or pronouns that align with their gender identity. Penalties for violating portions of the law start January 1, 2024, and administrators, teachers, librarians, and other school staff will be subject to disciplinary action, which could include being fired or losing a license. Hundreds of titles have already been removed from school libraries, and school districts have taken down safe space stickers and removed references to LGBTQ historical figures from library displays. The law also has forced student groups for LGBTQ+ students and their allies to stop meeting.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight Iowa students and their families affected by the law, and Iowa Safe Schools, a non-profit organization supporting LGBTQ and allied youth.

The Jenner team includes Partner Laurie Edelstein, Associates Daniel Echeverri, Anna Lyons, Effiong Dampha, Kate Mather, and Joshua Armstrong, and Paralegal Evan Harrington.   

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Jenner & Block, Lambda Legal, and ACLU of Iowa Challenge Law Targeting LGBTQ+ Youth

In partnership with Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Iowa, Jenner & Block filed a lawsuit to block SF 496, a sweeping new law that went into effect this fall in Iowa with wide-ranging implications for LGBTQ+ students’ academic experience, safe school climate, and mental health. The law targets LGBTQ+ youth and requires school districts to ban books.

The law forbids any program, curriculum, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation in grades K-6, bans books with LGBTQ+ or sexual content with an explicit exception for the Bible, and requires teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and other staff to report students to their parents or guardians if a student asks to be referred to by names or pronouns that align with their gender identity. Penalties for violating portions of the law start January 1, 2024, and administrators, teachers, librarians, and other school staff will be subject to disciplinary action, which could include being fired or losing a license. Hundreds of titles have already been removed from school libraries, and school districts have taken down safe space stickers and removed references to LGBTQ historical figures from library displays. The law also has forced student groups for LGBTQ+ students and their allies to stop meeting.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight Iowa students and their families affected by the law, and Iowa Safe Schools, a non-profit organization supporting LGBTQ and allied youth.

The Jenner team includes Partner Laurie Edelstein, Associates Daniel Echeverri, Anna Lyons, Effiong Dampha, Kate Mather, and Joshua Armstrong, and Paralegal Evan Harrington.   

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

News and Insights

Event

Amanda Shafer Berman to Speak on Energy and Administrative Law at WEN-DC Webinar

As the Supreme Court's new Term begins, Jenner & Block Partner Amanda Shafer Berman will join a Women's Energy Network of Washington, DC (WEN-DC) webinar on how the Court's decisions are shaping the energy sector.

October 14, 2026

Publications

Partner Amanda Shafer Berman Quoted in Bloomberg Law on Senate Permitting Overhaul Bill

Partner Amanda Shafer Berman was quoted in an October 5 Bloomberg Law article, "Permitting Deal Gives Projects Defense Against Litigation Delays," on the Senate's new permitting overhaul package and its expected impact on litigation over federal permitting reversals.

October 2026

Event

Partner John Storino to Speak at Sandpiper Partners' “AI and Outside Counsel Guidelines Roundtable”

On October 8, Partner John Storino will serve as a panelist at the “AI and Outside Counsel Guidelines Roundtable,” hosted by Sandpiper Partners in Chicago.

October 8, 2026

Event

Partner Meghan Greenfield to Speak on Supreme Court Climate Case at Edison Electric Institute's Fall Legal Conference

On Wednesday, October 7, Partner Meghan Greenfield will speak on a panel titled "Boulder County v. Suncor Energy: What the Supreme Court's Climate Case Means for the Energy Industry" at the Edison Electric Institute's Fall Legal Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

October 7, 2026

Publications

The Form Rules Everything: A Seventh Circuit Ruling on ERISA's Substantial Compliance Doctrine

Partner Joseph Torres and Special Counsel Jennifer Beach authored an article for Employee Relations Law Journal examining the Seventh Circuit's decision in Packaging Corp. of America Thrift Plan for Hourly Employees v. Langdon, a ruling that addresses both the standard of review in ERISA interpleader actions and the continued viability of the substantial compliance doctrine for changing plan beneficiaries.

October 5, 2026