Hunter/AP
09/28/21
The University of Iowa chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the UI Graduate Student Union have sent an e-mail to university president Barbara Wilson, accusing the campus of breaking workplace safety rules and demanding an explanation.
The Gazette reports that the email indicates the groups have consulted a lawyer who advised them they are public employees who have rights to enact provisions “for mutual aid or protection in their primary workspaces.” They also believe they have the right to require masks in their classrooms and offices to mitigate COVID-19 spread.
The email accuses the UI of putting itself at legal risk and demands an explanation why they have measures in place that violate public employee rights under Iowa Code.
Wilson responded to the email Monday, stating that Iowa Code does not give employees a right to “unilaterally alter or violate existing employer policies. She reiterated the Board of Regents guidance issued in May stating that masks may not be required on regent campuses except in specific situations.
At the University of Northern Iowa, Biology professor Steve O’Kane Jr. has pushed a resolution among colleagues saying faculty should be allowed to manage their classrooms. O’Kane told The Gazette that he’s already imposed a mask mandate for his students and lowers their lab grades if they refuse to comply.