The union that represents faculty at the University of Northern Iowa is backing a biology professor who has been disciplined for implementing a mask mandate in his classes, according to KWWL. Dr. Steve O’Kane was suspended from teaching his courses in person after he threatened to lower the score of students who did not wear a mask. The Iowa Board of Regents, however, has repeatedly denied the implementation of mask mandates at the three state universities. United Faculty says they applaud O’Kane for taking a brave public stand and they say the discipline is a disproportionate, unnecessarily disruptive, political show of force that harms the students. O’Kane is at the forefront of professors for the three universities calling for the power to utilize mask mandates within their own classrooms.
