ACLU Sues Over Handmaid's Tale 'Book Ban' In Minnesota School District

ANOKA COUNTY, MN — The ACLU of Minnesota, on behalf of two parents, filed a lawsuit Monday against the St. Francis Area School District, alleging that a new book policy unconstitutionally bans titles from school libraries based on political and ideological grounds.

The suit says at least 46 books, including "The Kite Runner" and "The Handmaid's Tale," have been pulled due to the policy approved late last year.

In November, the St. Francis School Board updated its book policy, replacing educator-led selection with a system that relies on Book Looks—a website that rates books based on their content—to help determine what students can access.

Book Looks was created by Moms for Liberty, a conservative advocacy group focused on parental rights in education, according to the ACLU.

"The St. Francis School Board fails its students by abandoning its duty to oversee the education of young people in service of a partisan, political orthodoxy," said ACLU-MN Staff Attorney Catherine Ahlin-Halverson.

"The freedom to read is fundamental to our democracy, and the ACLU of Minnesota stands with St. Francis students demanding that their school board stop violating their constitutional right to access information."

Banning books in public schools solely because of their viewpoints or the ideas they express is illegal under Minnesota law, the ACLU claims.

The lawsuit also argues that the district’s policy violates the Minnesota Constitution’s protections for free speech, the right to receive information, and the right to a uniform and adequate education.

"Reading and access to books, from the greatest of literature to the most timely of fiction, is the bedrock of education and one of the greatest pleasures available," said Kate Baxter-Kauf, partner at Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP, which is helping the ACLU in this case.

"The St. Francis School Board’s decision to deny children access to this instruction and joy in violation of constitutional protections is indefensible and LGN and I are committed to advancing justice to protect fundamental freedoms."

In an email to Patch Tuesday, a spokesperson for St. Francis Area Schools confirmed the district has received lawsuits from both the ACLU of Minnesota and Education Minnesota regarding its book policy.

"The legal team is reviewing the documents from both lawsuits and working with the district on determining next steps," the statement said. "The district is committed to addressing the claims identified in the lawsuits thoroughly and appropriately."

While declining to comment further on the legal filings, the district said School Board Chair Nathan Burr is the designated spokesperson for the matter.