CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. (KWWL) - Former VP Mike Pence will be in Iowa today to speak at a parents rights rally. The rally will take place at the Pizza Ranch on Westdale Drive Southwest in Cedar Rapids at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
The rally comes on the day of opening arguments in the case between Parents Defending Education and Linn-Mar Community School District. The case is related to a transgender policy that was approved in April of 2022 by the Linn-Mar Community School Board.
The group "Parents Defending Education" filed a lawsuit against the district in August of 2022.
The policy states any student in seventh grade or above can set a "Gender Support Plan" about facilities they use without their parent's permission. This includes bathrooms, locker rooms, as well as what gender they choose to room with on overnight trips, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth.
The district has been following this policy for several years as discrimination is prohibited under state and federal law.
However, use of these facilities for cisgender children hadn't been formally codified into the school bylaws.
Those filing the lawsuit say the new policy intentionally left parents in the dark over students' gender identification.
Former VP Mike Pence will be condemning the policy and promoting parental rights at the rally in Cedar Rapids.
KWWL reached out to the Linn-Mar Community School District for comment, and the district said they cannot comment on pending litigation.
