Lakeville schools vote to remove posters promoting diversity, inclusion

The Lakeville School Board voted on Tuesday to eventually remove from its schools eight posters that opponents argue promote diversity and inclusion.

Poster removal decision

What we know:

Following a fiery debate that had dozens of residents filling the room, board members voted 4-3 to remove the posters from its schools, while tabling a decision until later on how to do so.

The decision stems from a years-long lawsuit, upheld by an appeals court last year, alleging the posters violate a policy against political statements, specifically because two of them focus on Black Lives Matter.

Those behind the lawsuit believe they all need to be removed.

Meanwhile, some resident parents are upset, arguing the images that promote inclusion are important messages that should stay.

Controversy following George Floyd murder

The backstory:

In 2020, when some teachers requested to put Black Lives Matter posters in their classrooms in the wake of George Floyd, the district was clear they could not, citing their policy against political statements.

But in 2021, when it came up again as part of a series of posters promoting diversity and inclusion, the district gave it the OK.

Several parents and students filed a lawsuit after they were denied permission to put up posters promoting other viewpoints, arguing that Black Lives Matter is a political organization and claiming their own free speech was violated.

"Proposals were made to put up All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter," explained attorney Doug Seaton of the Upper Midwest Law Center, a conservative nonprofit which specializes in cases of what they see as government overreach. "And the district said no to those and only yes to the Black Lives Matter supported posters."

Appeals court upholds lawsuit 

Dig deeper:

After a district court tossed out the lawsuit, ruling that the posters were free speech, an appeals court reversed that decision in the summer of 2024.

A settlement conference is now scheduled for February.

Seaton is not opposed to the idea of the district creating new posters that promote equality among all students, but believes the current series of posters all need to be removed, not just the two that promote Black Lives Matter.

"We’re very hopeful we’ll have a settlement in the case," said Seaton, "and a start to that would be for them to adopt a position, a policy, of neutrality and remove these posters from the school corridors and the classrooms."

The ‘wrong message’?

The other side:

Some parents are not happy with the idea that all the posters could be eliminated.  One who spoke to FOX 9, but wished to remain anonymous, said she understands the issue with the Black Lives Matter posters, since they do have a political agenda.  But, as the parent of a student with special needs, she feels the message of inclusion for all is very important.

The CEO of the Down Syndrome Society of Minnesota wrote the district a letter expressing the same concerns.  In a statement, she told FOX 9 that "as an organization that is focused on promoting inclusion for those that often find themselves in the margins, it is heartbreaking to see that people view inclusionary practices as harmful."

Equity and InclusionLakeville