A U.S. Appeals Court cast down a rule by a school district in Iowa, which would have punished students and staff who would not abide by others’ gender pronoun preferences.
In August, the Linn-Mar Community School District issued guidelines after the Iowa legislature passed a law requiring that districts inform parents when their child wants to use a new name or gender, as well as other policies on transgenderism in children.
These guidelines prompted a lawsuit from a parental rights group called Parents Defending Education, which protested the liberal policy positions in the district
The court’s Friday ruling sided with Parents Defending Education, saying that the district’s policy “violates the First Amendment rights to free speech of students who do not support or agree with a gender identity change.”
President of Parents Defending Education Nicole Neily released a statement after the ruling.
“We are gratified that the 8th Circuit upheld the rights of families and students in Linn-Mar,” said Neily. “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.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is currently running for president in the 2024 election, also praised the ruling.
“Today, we applaud the Eighth Circuit’s decision, which is an important step in the fight to uphold and protect the rights of parents and families in Linn-Mar. A family is the single best unit to protect children, and we must continue to do everything we can to empower parents over bureaucrats. The strength of our nation is tied to the strength of our families, and we will not stand idly by as the Radical Left attempts to indoctrinate our children behind parents’ backs.”
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