On September 29, 2023, Parents Defending Education (PDE) won its appeal in Parents Defending Education v. Linn-Mar Community School District for a preliminary injunction. This means that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit sent the case back to the lower court with orders to block the Iowa district from enforcing the part of its policy that banned an intentional or persistent refusal “to respect a student’s gender identity.”
Quote from Nicole Neily, President and Founder of Parents Defending Education:
We are gratified that the Eighth Circuit upheld the rights of families and students in Linn-Mar. It is never acceptable to prohibit speech with vague terms that allow arbitrary enforcement, especially when compelled student speech is at stake, and this sends a clear message to other districts across the country with similar bullying and harassment policies on the books. The Eighth Circuit also made clear that Linn-Mar’s parental exclusion policies are now unlawful throughout the State of Iowa. Yet these policies remain on the books in far too many districts across the country. Parental exclusion policies are a loser in the court of public opinion – and I have no doubt that they will eventually be struck down in the court of law as well.
Read the court’s full order below:
