Urbandale now 6th Iowa school district to protect trans and nonbinary students

Urbandale has joined five other Iowa school districts in voting to protect its transgender and nonbinary students.

Following the removal of gender identity as a protected class under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, the Iowa Association of School Boards proposed to cut it from statewide policies. 

In response, on Aug. 11 the Urbandale School Board voted against removing gender identity in a district policy that promises students a quality education.

The school district’s policy states that the curriculum will “foster knowledge of, respect, and appreciation for the historical and contemporary contributions of diverse cultural groups, including race, color, national origin, gender, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, creed, and socioeconomic background.”

Iowa Safe Schools, an LGBTQ youth advocacy organization, commended the decision in a statement made to Iowa Starting Line.

“Last week, the Urbandale School Board made the right decision by ensuring that all students, including transgender youth, are protected from discrimination,” said Zach Rus, Iowa Safe Schools’ executive director. “By rejecting the proposed policy changes, board members also affirmed that every student deserves the right to see themselves reflected in the classroom curriculum.”

Rus also recommended the Urbandale School Board further protects its students and staff. 

“While this was a step in the right direction, harmful proposals are still on the table. Policy 0545 and Policy 0602 would weaken anti-bullying protections for all students and strip away gender identity-based protections for both students and staff, respectively,” he wrote. “We urge the Urbandale School Board to stand by their commitment to all students and reject these dangerous changes at their next meeting.”

Urbandale is the latest Iowa school district to reaffirm its nondiscrimination policy; Ankeny, Johnston, West Des Moines, Linn-Mar, and Iowa City have all done so recently.

“Iowa Safe Schools will continue monitoring district policy changes across the state to ensure that every student has the safe, supportive education they deserve,” Rus added.