Parents in the Linn-Mar School District have accused the district of not being willing to distribute pocket constitutions that were donated for eighth-grade students in recognition of Constitution Day.
Moms for Liberty – Linn County posted about donating the pocket constitutions last week. The group donated enough pocket constitutions so 3,200 eighth-grade students across Linn County would have their very own copy.
However, according to an email from Linn-Mar superintendent Amy Kortemeyer, the district decided it would not disseminate the pocket constitutions.
“District staff are supplied with approved materials on this topic,” Kortemeyer wrote. “The Linn-Mar Community School District Board Policy 1001.4-R describes the process for the approval of the distribution of materials to students.”
The policy referenced details the distribution of materials that are non-curricular.
Kortemeyer added that the group took a picture in one of the district’s offices, posted the photo without the consent of the staff member and clarified it does not imply an endorsement.
The Iowa Standard reached out to the district on Monday, but did not receive any response.
As of Monday afternoon, the donations had not been returned.
Organizers of the donations said they made phone calls beforehand and things were discussed ahead of time. They were not told about any policy concerns.
Linn-Mar previously instituted secret gender plans for students beginning in seventh grade where the district would keep secrets from parents regarding a student’s gender identity at school. It also hosted a “Trans Week” two years ago.
Here was additional reaction from concerned individuals in the district:
“Unsure how the Constitution doesn’t align with curriculum when schools are obligated to teach the US Constitution. But, OK. It’s sad. Bad look for LM.”
“Maybe you should have painted a rainbow on the constitution book, then it’d be approved to distribute.”
“Very sad and frankly, embarrassing, that the LM district is the ONLY school district in Linn County that refused to distribute the pocket constitutions to their eighth graders!”
We will provide an update when the Linn-Mar District provides one.
