Lawmakers Question School Districts on Gender Policies and Parental Rights
Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan reports from Washington on a U.S. House of Education and Workforce Committee hearing. Lawmakers questioned superintendents from Chicago, San Francisco, and Loudoun County Public Schools about gender policies and parental rights in their districts.
Key concerns focused on how school staff communicate with parents concerning student gender transitions and activities such as ‘Drag Queen Story Hour.’ Superintendents denied claims of withholding information from parents.
Three Iowa teachers disciplined for supporting a student-led drag show reached a settlement after filing discrimination lawsuits against the Ankeny Community School District.
In May 2022, the district investigated teachers Jill Bjorklund, Mollie Jo Blahunka, and PJ Hurley. They had attended or approved a student drag show after school hours. The event was hosted by Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs at Ankeny High School and Southview Middle School.
According to the complaint, the event was student-initiated with no harm or disruption to educational activities. The controversy arose when clips of the drag performance went viral, leading Ankeny to launch an investigation.
Ankeny Community Schools stated the event was not approved by school administration and lacked proper protocol. The plaintiffs disputed this, citing discussions held with the Ankeny High School activities director.
Following the incident, all three teachers faced disciplinary action, including a brief suspension for Bjorklund and Blahunka, leave for all three, and a ban from sponsoring school activities. The school district filed ethics charges, which were later dismissed by the Iowa Board of Education.
After a legal battle, the teachers claimed the district discriminated against their supportive speech for LGBTQ students, violating First Amendment rights. Blahunka identifies as queer, Hurley as gay, and Bjorklund as the mother of a transgender child.
The legal conflict concluded with a $150,000 settlement, involving payments of $27,700 to each teacher and $67,000 for attorneys’ fees. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the resolution.
In May 2023, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed education bill SF 496, criticized as the ‘Don’t say LGBTQ law.’ It restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for Kindergarten through sixth grade, demands notification to parents if students seek different names or pronouns, and bans sexually explicit books in K-12 libraries.