March 5 2024- The St. Louis Park school board is advocating for a change in the law after a legal dispute arose regarding whether families had the right to opt out of reading books with LGBTQ+ characters in schools. Last fall, six Somali Muslim families threatened to sue the school district, claiming the denial of their requests to exclude their children from storytime with LGBTQ+-inclusive picture books. Minnesota law currently allows parents to review instructional materials and, if they object, arrange for alternative instruction. In February, the families’ legal representation declared victory, stating that the school district had acceded to the parents’ requests.However, during a recent school board meeting, members emphasized their intent to comply with the law while expressing the belief that the law itself needed revision. In a resolution, they urged the Legislature to clarify that the representation of protected classes, including race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation, should not be grounds for seeking alternative instruction.
