College professors sue Idaho over a law that they say criminalizes classroom discussions on abortion

By REBECCA BOONE
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Six university professors and two teachers’ unions are suing Idaho over a law that they say violates their First Amendment rights by criminalizing teaching about pro-abortion viewpoints. The 2021 No Public Funds for Abortion Act bans public employees from promoting abortion, counseling in favor of abortion or referring someone to abortion services. Public employees who violate the law can be fired and charged with a felony. The educators say the law is sweeping and unclear, and that it has forced professors to strike some curriculum and limit discussion in classes about biomedical ethics, law, journalism, sociology and other subjects. Idaho Family Policy Center president Blaine Conzatti helped draft the law. He contends it doesn’t infringe on academic speech.