The University of Idaho sent out a memo to its employees Friday stating new restrictions against discussing abortion and administering birth control in response to changes in Idaho law.
The memo states, quote: “University of Idaho is committed to operating within the confines of laws of the state of Idaho which restrict expenditures of funds and activities of university employees in the areas of abortion and contraception.” Employees who counsel students are warned to “proceed cautiously” if a discussion with a students turns to reproductive health, including abortion. Other employees who wish to advocate in favor of abortion must do so outside of their job duties and without the use of university resources. These laws remain applicable in the classroom. According to the memo, any classroom discussion of abortion should be “approached carefully.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit that advocates for free speech at universities, sent out a statement calling these restrictions unconstitutional.
Idaho law regarding whether universities can provide birth control is murky. Even the memo states the statute is “not a model of clarity.” The university is advised not to provide standard birth control. However, it can provide condoms as long as it is only for the purpose of helping prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, not for the purposes of birth control. Health care workers at the university’s Student Health locations run by Moscow Family Medicine can counsel students on birth control and provide the means for birth control, the university memo states. When it comes to the topic of abortion, employees can direct students to sources of information outside of the university as long they remain neutral on the subject. (Lewiston Tribune)
