Dupage Policy Journal

Former Illinois State Representative Jeanne Ives urged parents in Indian Prairie School District 204 to consider legal action in response to what she calls “compelled speech” regarding pronoun usage for a staff member. This comes after the district informed parents that Steve Sabovik, the Director of the Library Media Center at Owen Elementary School, now identifies as “Ms. Madison Sabovik” and wishes to be addressed with female pronouns.

As previously reported by DuPage Policy Journal, District 204, which serves a large portion of Chicago’s western suburbs, recently notified parents of Sabovik’s transition, emphasizing a supportive environment for students and staff. The district distributed a talking points memo for staff to use, which included responses to potential student questions, such as “Remember, our LMC Director is now Ms. Sabovik” and “Let’s support her.” 

This policy prompted opposition from Awake Illinois, a parent advocacy group, which argued against “gender indoctrination” in schools and advised parents on alternative schooling options if they objected to the district’s stance on pronoun usage and gender identity.

Ives, known for her conservative stance on educational and social issues, encouraged parents to challenge the district legally, drawing attention to a recent legal precedent. 

“Parents in D204 upset with this compelled speech, sexual indoctrination, and planting of lies in their young children’s minds need to sue the school district over this issue. They will likely win the lawsuit,” Ives told DuPage Policy Journal.

Ives referenced the 2021 case Meriwether v. Hartop in which a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit supported a professor’s right to refrain from using a student’s preferred pronouns, stating that mandated pronoun usage infringed on free speech. Ives suggested that parents pursuing a similar lawsuit could find success in Illinois, particularly as the Meriwether decision has established a federal precedent.

Ives also pointed to what she sees as a deeper issue with the public school system, characterizing the district’s approach as part of a broader agenda she terms “cultural Marxism.” She called for conservative-minded parents dissatisfied with the policy to consider running for school board positions.

“If good people don't take back their schools, then this will continue," Ives said.

In addition to legal action, Ives also criticized the district’s academic performance, pointing to data from the Illinois State Board of Education that reveals only 46% of Owen Elementary students meet grade-level standards in English Language Arts, while 55% do so in Math. She argued that the emphasis on social issues diverts attention from fundamental educational priorities, suggesting that such academic underperformance could impact students’ long-term success.

Jeanne Ives is an American conservative politician and former Illinois state representative who served from 2013 to 2019, representing the 42nd district in Chicago’s western suburbs. In 2020, she ran for Congress in Illinois' 6th district, narrowly losing to Democrat Sean Casten. A former Army officer and graduate of West Point, Ives continues to advocate for conservative policies, focusing on economic reform and government accountability.