A school board in Iowa has settled a lawsuit concerning a policy that permitted students to request a gender support plan for social transitioning at school without parental consent.
The Linn-Mar Community Schools’ insurance provider will compensate the plaintiffs, Parents Defending Education, with $20,000, according to the Gazette newspaper in Cedar Rapids. The district disclosed the agreement on Tuesday.
Contentious debates surrounding transgender students persist in many school districts. The American Federation of Teachers noted that candidates endorsed by conservative groups like Moms for Liberty and the 1776 Project experienced a 70% loss rate nationally in November’s elections — a figure disputed by those groups.
In April 2022, the Linn-Mar board in Marion adopted a policy granting students access to facilities aligned with their gender identity. This policy garnered national attention in February 2023, drawing criticism from former Vice President Mike Pence, who briefly pursued the Republican presidential nomination before withdrawing in October.
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Pence stated to The Associated Press, “The strength of our nation is tied to the strength of our families, and we cannot stand idly by as the radical left attempts to indoctrinate our children behind parents’ backs.”
The Eastern Iowa Linn-Mar Community School District’s policy accommodated “transgender students regarding names/pronouns, restroom and locker facilities, overnight accommodations on school trips, and participation in activities.”
The parents’ group claimed, among other things, that the district’s policy violated their right to direct the care, custody, and control of their children because the policy prevented the district’s schools from notifying parents if their child had been given a gender support plan or assumed transgender status.
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As Iowa legislators deliberated over limitations on transgender policies within districts, the Linn-Mar board rescinded its policy in March. Presently, state law prohibits districts from knowingly providing “false or misleading information to a parent or guardian of their child’s gender identity or intention to transition” to a gender other than that listed on the birth certificate.
“Parents Defending Education is thrilled that Linn-Mar Community School District has agreed to respect the First Amendment rights of its students going forward,” Parents Defending Education president Nicole Neily said in a statement.
“This settlement sends a clear message that student speech may not be compelled by administrators when it comes to gender issues — and a reminder to districts that viewpoint discrimination in public schools is wrong, full stop.”
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Despite the defeat of three Moms for Liberty-supported candidates in the Linn-Mar district in November, the board expressed its belief that the district’s time and resources are better utilized by focusing on future endeavors rather than continuing to defend a lawsuit regarding a policy that has been inactive for nearly a year.
It added the school board “emphasizes its ongoing commitment to support all learners and to provide a safe and affirming school environment for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students and their families within the parameters of the law.”
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