What’s the Goal Here? Educator’s Perspectives of Iowa’s Senate File 496 on School Mental Health Systems

Iowa's Senate File 496 requires parent permission to formally survey students about their mental health, bans the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools before 7th grade, mandates schools obtain parental permission to use a nick name, and bans any books that depict or describe sex acts in schools. This exploratory case study explores educators’ (n = 20) perceptions of Senate File 496’s influence on school-based mental health systems and the ways participants perceived the legislation influenced student mental health. Key findings reveal that Senate File 496 was dismantling school-based mental health systems in schools, there was a rise of vigilantism in education, and participants perceived the legislation caused irrevocable student harm.