In Bizarre Lawsuit, Right-Wing Activist Sues Ankeny Schools For $87 Million Over Drag Show

Kimberly Reicks, a well-known Iowa right-wing activist and Gov. Kim Reynolds’ former unofficial education policy advisor, has filed a bizarre lawsuit against the Ankeny School District in the “Kimberly Reicks Court” and seeks $87,035,000 in damages, according to the documents filed in Mahaska County. Ankeny is located in Polk County.

Reicks, part of the “Iowa Mama Bear” duo who claims partial credit for Reynolds signing a bill that prevents Iowa schools from requiring masking, is representing herself. She is suing the school district, superintendent Eric Pruitt, the school board, and several teachers connected to a May 2022 after-school drag show put on by Ankeny High School’s Gay Straight Alliance.

“I, a woman: Kimberly Reicks, say it comes a time, when those of mankind, from a society not I do trespass upon I, and so comes a time of I to simply be present as a woman in honor, to seek remedy to open a case at this court house to press a claim trespass between I, a woman, and those of mankind whom I believe have done a trespass to I,” the suit states. 

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Reicks wants Mahaska County Clerk of Court Megan Menke to provide her with a courtroom and judge to preside over the trial.

“I require Megan Menke to put forth a man or woman very well verse at law, I will simply need the man or woman to act as magistrate who is competent in property and trespass law, who will keep the peace; as I will be press this matter at trial by jury as I press a claim; if no man or woman wishes to accept this duty, I will simply require this trial by jury to move and press before those of mankind,” the suit states.

In her suit, Reicks breaks down why she should be paid $87,035,000 by the Ankeny School District over an invite-only after-school drag show that she nor her children attended and that was not officially sanctioned: 

• $10 million for “immoral provocative slutty dance performance”
• $2 million for “in appropriate use of school property”
• $5 million for “unauthorize performance”
• $5 million for “sexually oriented business within (1000) on thousand feet of the Ankeny High School”
• $1 million for “vulgarity towards son(s) and daughter(s)” 
• $18 million for “inappropriate interaction with son(s) and daughter(s) (moral turpitude, obscenity)”
• $10 million for “failure to keep the Ankeny High School safety protocol(s)”
• $10 million for “failure to provide proof of background check”
• $10 million for “failure to bring forth remedy after investigation was complete”
• $5 million for “failure to bring forth remedy for verifiable claim”
• $5 million for “adult theatre”
• $ 5 million for “film”
• $1,035,000 for “failure to bring forth permit.”

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Additionally, Reicks issued her own court order related to her suit:

“It is hereby ordered upon the verdict of the jury in the favor of I, the woman: Kimberly Reicks, that I thus require compensation of $89,035,00 (eight seven million two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars) to be paid out within (21) twenty one days of this verdict; any bonds will be paid out to the woman: Kimberly Reicks; directly and not to be paid out to the court of Iowa treasury,” the order states.

The order concludes with “ I, state here and will verify at open court before a magistrate all to be true,” with Reicks’ signature sealed with what appears to be a lipstick-coated fingerprint over it.

Ankeny officials concluded an internal investigation into the drag show last fall and three teachers who were part of the show are suing the district for alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

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As the investigation was ongoing, Reicks demanded answers from Ankeny officials and pulled a stunt at an October school board meeting by stripping down to a leotard similar to the one worn by the young drag performer.

Reicks went viral and she shared texts from Rep. Steve Holt (R-Dennison) and Rep. Jeff Shipley (R-Fairfield) congratulating her for her actions during the school board meeting. Both men also happen to be championing a lot of the anti-LGBTQ legislation in the Iowa House.

Two weeks after her school board stunt, Reicks was arrested after she allegedly made false reports claiming sexual abuse in the home of Emily Peterson, her former Iowa Mama Bears partner. That case is still ongoing. To his credit, Shipley denounced Reicks after the charges came to light.

Reicks’ allegations against Peterson have led to her being ostracized from the far-right paid speaking circuit she was previously a star on. She told the Daily Beast in January she hopes to regain her standing once she clears her name.

In that same Daily Beast article, Reicks brags about her then influence on Gov. Kim Reynolds. She recalled the after-midnight bill signing for the anti-school mask mandate bill and how her husband, Jonathan Reicks, questioned her whereabouts after she came home so late.

“He’s like, ‘Where are you at?’” she told the Daily Beast. “And I’m like, ‘I was just in the governor’s office getting the law passed.’ He’s like, ‘BS what’s the guy’s name?’ And I’m like, ‘No, seriously…’ I show him a picture of me standing next to Governor Reynolds and he just looks at me and he just rolled his eyes and went back to bed. And we’ve been fine ever since.”

You can read every document related to Reicks’ lawsuit here:

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by Ty Rushing
02/27/23

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