Lang
11/15/23
A Coralville resident protesting an anti-trans speaker at the University of Iowa faces criminal charges.
The student group Young Americans for Freedom brought in Chloe Cole, who transitioned to a male before de-transitioning back to being female, to speak at the Iowa Memorial Union on the night of October 16th. Nearly 150 UI students and others gathered around the IMU and walked in circles at the intersection of Jefferson and Madison Streets to protest Cole’s appearance. UI Police say one of those people was 45-year-old Tara Dutcher. Arrest reports indicate Dutcher prevented the flow of traffic for about 20 minutes at the intersection of West Jefferson and South Madison Streets. UI Police say officers allowed the unlawful assembly to continue while opening up one lane of traffic. Dutcher allegedly refused to vacate the area when told to do so and had to be physically restrained by police from blocking the open lane of traffic.
Dutcher was booked into the Johnson County Jail at 3:45 Wednesday morning and charged with Disorderly Conduct While Obstructing a Public Way and Interference With Official Acts. If convicted on both charges, they face a maximum of 13 months in jail.