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This petition has been initiated to oppose the “Parental Rights and Transparency” Resolution that was presented to the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (PLSAS) board as it does not speak for nor represent the majority of parents & stakeholders in the district. Instead of supporting all students, the resolution is written to invalidate our diverse students and members of the LBGTQIA+ community and further pushes a divide between parents and teachers.

Background:

The Chapter Chair for the Scott County Chapter of Moms for Liberty presented a “Parental Rights and Transparency Resolution” (https://momsforliberty.org/files/5434/) to the PLSAS School Board on August 14, 2023. Two board members requested it be added to a future study session on August 28th. The School Board collectively voted not to bring it forward for school board discussion and instead let concerns on parental rights come up naturally through the already existing communication methods within the district.

The Moms for Liberty Scott County Chapter Chair created a Google Form as a Petition to “Protect Parental Rights and Transparency Resolution” and claimed the board is refusing to consider the resolution. The petition is presented in a way that could make one think that it was created by a concerned group of parents. That’s partially true. The quiet part that isn’t said out loud is it is part of a coordinated effort with national group Moms for Liberty to push similar resolutions into schools and legislature nationwide. The resolution presented is worded almost exactly as a resolution approved by one school district in Wisconsin. The Moms for Liberty Scott County Chapter Chair admitted at the September 11th PLSAS board meeting that no Minnesota Independent School District has adopted a parental rights resolution. At the same board meeting, it was shared that ~450 people had signed their petition.

Opposition:

For the reasons listed below, we oppose the Parental Rights and Transparency Resolution as presented.

1. No Minnesota ISD has adopted a parental rights resolution.

2. The turnover rate at the Wisconsin School District (Waukesha) that implemented the same resolution has increased. 42.9% of exit surveys filled out upon leaving the district cited Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity being important topics.

3. Most rights requested to be affirmed in the resolution have been established already by ISD719 Policy or Minnesota Statutes. (See “Detail on School District Policies, Minnesota Statutes, and/or Federal Law as it relates to each right requested to be affirmed” below)

4. Some rights requested to be affirmed violate state, federal, and/or civil right laws and would open our district up to legal action. (See “Detail on School District Policies, Minnesota Statutes, and/or Federal Law as it relates to each right requested to be affirmed” below)

5. Comparison to the Equity and Inclusion (E&I) Resolution is not accurate. The E&I Resolution is a district commitment to how our board, teachers, staff, and students will work together to advance equity and inclusion efforts. It does not affirm specific rights to a single group.

Detail on School District Policies, Minnesota Statutes, and/or Federal Law as it relates to each right requested to be affirmed

Right 1 “Curriculum Appropriateness and Transparency”:

a. PLSAS has a policy in place for curriculum transparency and provides a procedure for parents to opt-out of materials they deem not appropriate for their individual child. (Policy 601.1)

b. Minnesota Statute 120B.20 PARENTAL CURRICULUM REVIEW already defines a parents legal right to review and object to curriculum.

Right 2 “Student Privacy and Safety”

a. PLSAS has a policy in place for protection and privacy of student records. (Policy 515)

b. PLSAS has a policy in place for the use of Electronic Technology. (Policy 524)

c. PLSAS has a policy in place for Website/Intranet Student Use. (Policies 525)

d. Minnesota Statute 125B.11 already mandates internet access for students, what type of content needs to be filtered under federal or state law, and the district liability.

Right 3 “Deeply held Family Values”

a. As previously mentioned, PLSAS has a policy in place (601.1) for parents to opt their child out of specific curriculum.

b. No proof has been presented that any PLSAS school has mandated medical examinations or interventions.

Right 4 “Student personal and gender identity”

a. Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights enforces Title IX to ensure that schools comply with the law.

b. Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act & Minnesota Statute 121A.031 SCHOOL STUDENT BULLYING POLICY prohibits intimidation, threatening, abusive, or harmful conduct against a student based on their gender identity.

c. Executive Order 14021 orders that “…all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual violence, and including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. For students attending schools and other educational institutions that receive Federal financial assistance, this guarantee is codified, in part, in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance.”

d. The Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a decision that schools must allow students to use locker rooms that align with their gender identity under Minnesota civil rights laws. “In a powerful opinion, the court held that it is unlawful to require transgender students to use a locker room that is inconsistent with their gender identity. The court recognized that "students should not be required to 'shop' among schools and districts to obtain a discrimination-free education," because "[s]chools play a pivotal role in a young person's development and intellectual, mental, and emotional health.””

e. The Supreme Court of the United States decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia affirmed that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under federal law.

References

1. Prior Lake Savage Area Schools September 11, 2023 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMt9_sV_tNs

2. Waukesha School District September 2023 Board of Education Meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGYEURDP5HE

Right 1

a. Independent School District 719 Policy 601.1 https://www.plsas.org/uploaded/School_Board/Policies/600/601.1_Review_of_Curriculum_Content.pdf

b. Minnesota Statute Section 120B.20 https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120B.20

Right 2

a. Independent School District 719 Policy 515 https://www.plsas.org/uploaded/School_Board/Policies/500/515_Protection_and_Privacy_of_Student_Records.pdf

b. Independent School District 719 Policy 524 https://www.plsas.org/uploaded/School_Board/Policies/500/524_-_Electronic_Technologies_Acceptable_Use_Policy_(combined_409.1).pdf

c. Independent School District 719 Policy 525 https://www.plsas.org/uploaded/School_Board/Policies/500/525-Website_and_Intranet_Policy.pdf

d. Minnesota Statute Section 125B.11 https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/125B.15

Right 4

a. Enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 With Respect to Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Light of Bostock v. Clayton County https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/202106-titleix-noi.pdf

b. Minnesota Statute 121A.031 https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/121A.031

c. Executive Order 14021 Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free From Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/11/2021-05200/guaranteeing-an-educational-environment-free-from-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-sex-including

d. Court of Appeals Rules that Minnesota Schools Must Allow Students to Use Locker Rooms that Align with their Gender Identity https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/civilrightsupdates.jsp?id=448604

e. Bostock vs Clayton County https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1618_hfci.pdf