Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced Friday that a multistate lawsuit has concluded that targeted school accommodations for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria under federal laws supporting students with disabilities.
Bird joined 16 other states in a Texas-led lawsuit challenging a change to the federal law known as Section 504 prohibiting discrimination against students with disabilities and setting standards for what kinds of services and aids must be provided to students with additional needs. The lawsuit objected to the Biden administration’s 2024 move that added gender dysphoria to the list of disabilities covered by Section 504.
The 17 states involved in the February 2025 lawsuit were Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
A news release from Bird’s office stated “if left unchecked, the Biden-Harris scheme to push transgender ideologies on children would have made all of Section 504 unconstitutional and jeopardized school accommodations for kids who need it.”
Disability advocates heavily criticized the lawsuit for containing constitutional challenges they say would impact all Section 504 protections, potentially allowing schools, hospitals and other entities to refuse to provide accommodations for people with disabilities required under the current law.
In February 2025, the attorneys general requested to put the lawsuit on hold and formally clarify that the intended purpose of the suit was not to challenge the constitutionality of Section 504 at large, but only look at the rule to require accommodations for “gender dysphoria.” In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under the Trump administration, issued a “clarification” document of its own stating that the Biden administration’s inclusion of gender dysphoria in Section 504, “… is not, and never was, enforceable.”
Bird said in a statement the “current administration has restored Section 504 to protect children with disabilities without any ideological mandates,” and that because of the clarification, “Iowa has concluded the lawsuit we joined in 2025 with a win.”
“As a mom, I know that every child learns differently and should have the necessary tools for success, including Section 504 accommodations,” Bird said. “No parent should have to worry about whether their student will get the support they need in school. The Biden administration’s attempt to force transgender ideology into the classroom was at the expense of children with disabilities.”
