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CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is urging the U.S. Department of Education to investigate Linn-Mar Community School District after Linn-Mar High School aired student-produced announcements recognizing “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.”
In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon this week, Hinson said she was “appalled” her 14-year-old son and other Linn-Mar students were exposed to content she described as “indoctrination” without parental consent.
“This week’s messages to help stop biphobia included encouraging students to wear bisexual pride pins to show allyship, learn about bisexuality and its history, and validate the feelings of bisexual individuals,” Hinson wrote. “… Our schools should be educating students, not indoctrinating them.”
Hinson, a Marion Republican who has made parental rights in education a central theme of her political platform, said there is “no circumstance where it is acceptable for administrators, teachers, or any school employee to discuss sexuality with a student without explicit parental consent.”
She asked the Education Department to “launch a full investigation” into the district’s conduct and ensure accountability.
“I appreciate the Trump Administration’s commitment to restoring parents’ voices in their children’s education,” Hinson wrote, adding “families — not school administrators — should decide how and when to address these issues.”
“Exposing children to ideology that may conflict with a family’s values or faith, or that parents are not ready to address with their children, is wholly unacceptable,” the letter states.
“Parents should be informed, empowered, and involved in all aspects of their children’s education, not blindsided after their children have been exposed to inappropriate content,” she wrote.
District responds
In a statement, Linn-Mar officials confirmed a segment aired on the high school’s student-run television program referencing “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.”
“At this time, the district is conducting a review to determine whether any existing policies or procedures were violated during the production or airing of the segment,” the district said. “We remain committed to fostering respectful dialogue and supporting all students and staff in a safe and inclusive environment in a manner that aligns with district guidelines and policies.”
This is not the first time Linn-Mar has been at the center of political battles over LGBTQ issues. In 2022, the district adopted a policy allowing transgender and nonbinary students to request accommodations — such as alternative names and pronouns. The policy, which left it up to the students whether to notify parents, drew sharp criticism from Hinson and other Iowa Republicans, who said it undermined parental rights. Conservative groups seized on the issue in the 2023 Linn-Mar school board elections.
Hinson’s letter to McMahon comes as Republicans nationwide have elevated parental rights as a rallying point in campaigns and policy debates. School board policies and classroom content on race, gender and sexuality have become flashpoints in several Iowa districts.
