Parents Suing Linn-Mar Schools Over Transgender Policy
Parents of students in the Linn-Mar school district have filed a lawsuit, suing the school district over its transgender student policy.
KCRG reports that the lawsuit filed is from a group called Parents Defending Education. The lawsuit names the Linn-Mar school district and superintendent Shannon Bigard. Parents Defending Education is a nationwide parents' group that includes parents in the Linn-Mar district.
The school board passed the current policy back in April after the heated debate from both sides coming from parents and community members alike. KCRG reports that Linn-Mar said that the policy that was passed formalized what staff members were already doing to support transgender students in compliance with state and federal laws. At the discussion meetings, parents were angry about what they saw being cut out of the children's education and decisions about their own health. Critics argued that those views were transphobic and the policy protected transgender students who may not otherwise feel safe.
So what does Linn-Mar's transgender policy include? KCRG reports that among other things, the policy
- requires students and staff to call a student by their new name or new pronouns.
- changes the child's name on government documents.
- use the restroom and locker room of the child's gender identity.
- participate in sports that match the child's gender identity.
- Parents would not be notified of these changes without the student's consent.
The lawsuit filed claims the policy violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of students who hold biological beliefs about sex and forces them into the beliefs of students and staff, according to KCRG. The lawsuit also points to a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment in regards to parents having the right to know what actions the school district is taking with their child.
KCRG reports that Linn-Mar schools have yet to comment on the lawsuit.