The Iowa City State Historical Society discussed a motion for a temporary injunction at the Johnson County Courthouse Tuesday, beginning the first of hearings in a lawsuit filed by Iowa City plaintiffs due to the forced closure of the society due to its funding being cut by the state legislature.

A temporary injunction would halt any action currently being taken by the state to remove exhibits from the archive until a final verdict is reached. 

Several historians, professors, and former Iowa City State Historical members filed a lawsuit against the state last week, claiming the public was not consulted in the matter of the closing, and some materials were given on the condition they remain in Iowa City. 

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The motion was a part of the larger lawsuit, which contained both a petition signed by over 7,500 community members and several affidavits from members of the community who were directly involved with the center. 

In the courtroom Tuesday, Mary Bennett, a plaintiff in the case, sat alongside her attorney, James Larew, as they stated their case for a motion of temporary injunction. During the court proceedings, Larew called the case “tricky and complicated.”

Bennett, along with several other plaintiffs, cited irreparable harm, such as emotional distress and possible harm to the society’s exhibits as reason for the motion.

In an interview with The Daily Iowan, Bennett said she hopes the injunction would stop the state from continuing to remove exhibits from the society.

The defense argued the plaintiffs did not exhaust all administrative efforts or follow traditional policy before filing the motion in court, such as going through the Department of Administrative Services.

The defense objected to the affidavits being considered in court, as several had been filed in over the last week and the defense had not yet gone through them. The defense claimed parts of the lawsuit were filed incorrectly.  

Judge Keving McKeever said he would take the matter under advisement  and deliver a verdict “very soon.”