The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a state law than forbids single parents from living with convicted sex offenders.
Holly Mitchell of Coralville was found guilty of child endangerment for living with a convicted sex offender and letting her kids live there, too. She appealed, arguing the state law is unconstitutional because it treats people who are not married and living with a sex offender differently because if a married man is convicted of a sex crime, his wife won’t be charged with child endangerment if she continues living in their home with their kids.
A majority of justices on the Supreme Court rejected Mitchell’s claims. The court ruled married sex offenders have "greater…obligations" to their spouse and kids and it is "realistically conceivable" to think a sex offender doesn’t have the same stake in the well-being of a girlfriend or boyfriend’s kids.
Two justices dissented, saying it is "irrational" to have separate standards for married and unmarried couples.
