Looking in at Iowa

From Iowa Judicial Branch suspension order:

This attorney disciplinary proceeding stems from allegations of academic impropriety by an Iowa lawyer. The Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board (Board) charged former University of Iowa law professor Kenneth W. Kress [PHOTO] with two violations of the Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers…

The charges stem from allegations that Kress raised the scores on two student evaluations and manufactured three highly positive evaluations in order to improve markedly his teaching effectiveness score. …

From Complaint:

ASSOCIATION OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, a Virginia Limited Liability Company, on behalf of its members

v.

MOLLIE ANDERSON, in her Official Capacity as Director of the Department of Administrative Services,  and the ADMINISTRATOR of the Iowa One Gift Campaign…

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

Each year Iowa state employees may voluntarily donate via payroll deduction to any of more than four hundred charities participating in the Iowa “One Gift” program, a campaign created by state statute as the only means for charitable solicitation in the state workplace. However, two of the program’s eligibility requirements effectively eliminate faith-based charitable organizations as an option for state employees’ voluntary contributions. In order to qualify, charities must, among other requirements, pledge that they do not “discriminate” on the basis of religious belief in their employment. Further, any charity “engaged in any way in sectarian activities, including activities aimed at promoting the adoption or defeat of any one or more religious viewpoints, shall not be eligible to participate.” Although participating organizations may espouse a broad range of political, social and other views, and limit their staff to those who share those views, organizations that engage in any religious activity or espouse any religious views, or only hire those who share the organization’s religious views, are excluded from the campaign. Excluding organizations from the Iowa “One Gift” campaign because they refuse to relinquish their federal constitutional and statutory rights to share and exercise their religious faith as well as their rights to associate with, hire, and be led by persons who share the organizations’ religious faith violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and should be enjoined. …