A progressive Iowa journalist is being sued over protection of a 2022 book-banning dispute in Scott County.
Plaintiff Peter Olsen is alleging libel by Laura Belin, who runs the progressive political web site Bleeding Heartland and covers the Capitol for KHOI radio in Ames, and Marie Gleason, a Bleeding Heartland contributor.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, facilities on a Could 2022 column Gleason wrote for Bleeding Heartland about an April 2022 assembly of a Nice Valley Faculty District committee debating whether or not to take away the e-book “All Boys Aren’t Blue” from the highschool library. The e-book often has been challenged over its LGBT themes and sexually specific content material.
Gleason, a retired John Deere employee and former legislative candidate, attended the assembly, the place the committee finally voted to not take away the e-book. In her write-up, she mentioned that “Peter Olsen of Bettendorf threatened the committee with a remark alongside the traces of, ‘I do know who you might be, and I do know the place you reside.’”
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Within the swimsuit, introduced by outstanding Iowa conservative lawyer Alan Ostergren, Olsen denies saying something like that. It says Olsen, in public feedback. “said the board can be held accountable for its selections and that he would maintain their names accountable for his or her vote.”
The Bleeding Heartland article was extensively learn, Olsen alleges, leading to academics and college students falsely believing he had threatened the board.
The swimsuit contends that as a result of Belin has editorial management over Bleeding Heartland, she is answerable for publishing the allegedly false account.
Belin declined to remark to the Des Moines Register on specifics of the case. Gleason didn’t reply to a message, conveyed via Belin, searching for remark .
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“Now we have this within the palms of our attorneys and we are going to reply appropriately in courtroom,” Belin mentioned.
What did Olsen really say?
Olsen’s criticism doesn’t quote his precise phrases from the assembly, however on an audio recording of the session offered by Ostergren he may be heard talking for a number of minutes throughout public feedback to advocate for eradicating the e-book. Olsen advised the committee that “there’s a large quantity of decay, sexual decay, going down in our tradition” and urged the committee to seek the advice of with an skilled on intercourse offenders and baby molesters.
“There is a slippery slope we’re occurring right here,” he mentioned.
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Olson twice makes reference to accountability, first telling the committee that “this board goes to be held accountable to the selections” and later that “I’ll maintain your names accountable to this vote, as a result of I am by no means giving up on this, and there are a heck of a variety of us who’re by no means giving up on this. In case you do not love your youngsters the way in which I really like my youngsters, I do not know the place this ends.”
Earlier than going into closed session, committee members requested Olsen to make clear, noting a number of had interpreted his remarks as threatening. Olsen once more reiterated his perception that the e-book was pornographic, inappropriate for youngsters, and that “there are kids being abused on this neighborhood, and there are earmarks on this e-book that result in that.” He denied any intent to threaten the committee and mentioned he “did not respect” that interpretation being placed on his phrases.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He may be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
