Story perspectives

ACLU of Iowa Sues State Over Dec. 12 Holiday Ban

8/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

On Aug 13 2026 the ACLU of Iowa sued Iowa Department of Administrative Services, naming DAS Director Mark Campbell and director Adam Steen and alleging First, Fourteenth Amendment and Iowa civil-rights violations.
The state denied the group’s 2024-2026 holiday requests, saying a 2024 Krampus costume contest with sticks could endanger minors.
The suit seeks an injunction for the Dec. 12, 2026 event and cites a November 2025 civil-rights report finding probable cause of religious discrimination.

History

Historical Context

Supreme Court’s 1972 Wisconsin v. Yoder decision, a unanimous 7-0 ruling that shielded about 2,000 Amish children from compulsory schooling, established a strong free-exercise precedent. Decades later, the ACLU of Iowa’s 2026 lawsuit against DAS Director Mark Campbell over a Krampus-costume ban invokes that legacy, arguing state-sanctioned religious bias violates the same constitutional protections.

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Story summary

On Aug 13 2026 the ACLU of Iowa sued Iowa Department of Administrative Services, naming DAS Director Mark Campbell and director Adam Steen and alleging First, Fourteenth Amendment and Iowa civil-rights violations.
The state denied the group’s 2024-2026 holiday requests, saying a 2024 Krampus costume contest with sticks could endanger minors.
The suit seeks an injunction for the Dec. 12, 2026 event and cites a November 2025 civil-rights report finding probable cause of religious discrimination.

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