Two families who sued the Southeast Polk Community School District, alleging officials failed to address bullying of LGBT students and those receiving special education services, can continue pursuing their lawsuits, the Iowa Supreme Court says.

The state's highest court dismissed appeals by the district in two cases on Friday, Nov. 14. The plaintiffs had separately accused the district of ignoring or proposing deeply inadequate accommodations to protect their children from bullying. In response, the district in both cases filed motions to dismiss, arguing the district was protected by Iowa's 2021 qualified immunity law , which provides public officials with a level of protection from liability for actions they take in the line of their work.

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