Parents' rights group suing Linn-Mar in federal court over gender support plan

MARION, Iowa — Iowa's News Now has obtained a lawsuit filed against Linn-Mar Schools in Marion over the district's gender support plan, approved by the school board earlier this year. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by Parents Defending Education, a group opposed to gender identity causes and education.

Linn-Mar's gender support plan allows students in 7th through 12th grades to openly speak to school staff about their gender identity, and protect those conversations from their parents if they wish. The policy also states students and staff should identify a student by their chosen name and pronouns, and allow students to participate in activities as their assigned gender.

Supporters say it's a step to ensure students can seek help about questions they might have, and protect them from bullying and harassment. But the lawsuit claims the policy is too broad when it comes to bullying and harassment, and that it violates Free Speech protections for those who may not choose to identify a student by their chosen gender or name.

"A child’s gender identity implicates the most fundamental issues concerning the child, including the child’s religion, medical care, mental health, sense of self, and more. Yet despite ‘extensive precedent’ that parents must be involved in decisions concerning these types of issues school districts across the country are increasingly excluding parents from decision making when gender identity is involved," the lawsuit reads.

Iowa's News Now has reached out to the Linn-Mar Community School District and members of the school board for comment, and are awaiting a response.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a private, closed-door meeting with parents in the district upset over the plan. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson was also at that meeting. Her children attend Linn-Mar Schools. “I’m a Linn-Mar parent myself, right? I have an 11 and 9 year old in fifth and third grade,” Hinson said back in May, “so I want to make sure that parents in this district and in my congressional district that I will stand up for their involvement in their kids’ education and to be heard.”