LGN and ACLU Gain Victory in St. Francis Book Ban Lawsuit
We are pleased to announce that Lockridge Grindal Nauen, serving as pro bono counsel with the ACLU of Minnesota, secured a victory in the St. Francis book-ban case.
Back in March, ACLU-MN and LGN sued the St. Francis Area School District on behalf of families fighting an unconstitutional policy that barred librarians and educators from selecting books and instead relied solely on a far‑right website, “Book Looks,” to ban books rated “3” or higher.
That policy required the removal of at least 46 books, including The Kite Runner, The Bluest Eye, and The Handmaid’s Tale.
On June 10, 2025, the school district agreed to a settlement that:
- Returned all banned books to libraries and classrooms
- Scrapped the “Book Looks”based policy
- Adopted the Minnesota School Boards Association’s model review policy
- Made it a three-year commitment
- Instituted transparency procedures before any future removals
This legal victory safeguards students’ rights to diverse literature and reinforces the principle that book bans cannot be based on politics or viewpoint. Read more here: https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/news/stfrancis-books
