Anoka-Hennepin lawsuit spurs petition, tough settlement talks

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The Anoka-Hennepin School District and lawyers for six students who sued the district over bullying began talks this week in an attempt to reach a settlement. While those talks were underway, the Parents Action League submitted a petition to the school board urging it not to budge on a policy that limits discussion of LGBT issues in the schools. And PAL came under scrutiny by other parents who questioned the group’s ties to the Minnesota Family Council.The district and lawyers for the students met early this week in hopes that a settlement could be reached in the lawsuit. Both sides have declined to comment on the talks other than to say they were productive. The dialogue ended Tuesday without resolution, and no more discussions have been scheduled.On Monday, the Parents Action League, a group of conservative Christian parents in the district, appealed to school officials to maintain its “neutrality policy,” a directive enacted two years ago that limits discussions of LGBT issues in the district and one that the lawsuit alleges creates a hostile environment for LGBT students.“I’m here on behalf of the Parents Action League to support the sexual orientation policy,” said Lori Thompson at Monday’s school board meeting. Continue Reading

Independence Party to campaign against anti–gay marriage amendment

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The Independence Party of Minnesota, one of three political parties in Minnesota with major party status, announced on Tuesday that it is joining the campaign to defeat a ballot measure that would place a ban on marriage for same-sex couples in the Minnesota Constitution if passed by the voters in 2012. The party announced shortly after the Minnesota Legislature passed the ballot initiative that it opposed the amendment, but the new announcement means party activists will actively campaign against the measure.“Our platform declares that ‘We oppose having the government impose state-sponsored morality or values on people of good conscience with differing views,” chair Mark Jenkins said in a statement. “This is a perfect example.”The Independence Party has joined with Minnesotans United for All Families, a coalition of groups working to convince voters to defeat the amendment.“The campaign is thrilled to have the support of the Independence Party. It is clear that Minnesotans from across the political spectrum agree that government should not be deciding which Minnesotans have the opportunity to marry,” said Donald McFarland, a spokesperson for Minnesotans United.The party came out with a video earlier this year in opposition to the amendment.Jenkins said that the party’s officers and members will volunteer to defeat the amendment and will hold events around the issue leading up to November 2012.The DFL has already come out against the amendment. The Republican Party of Minnesota has passing the amendment as part of the party platform. Continue Reading

Couples file appeal in Minnesota same-sex marriage lawsuit

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The 2012 ballot isn’t the only place where a raging debate on same-sex marriage is taking place in Minnesota. Three same-sex couples filed an appeal in July in their bid to overturn Minnesota’s Defense of Marriage Act, and groups on both sides of the issue have filed paperwork with the court offering strongly worded arguments on the issue of marriage equality.A Hennepin County district court judge dismissed a suit by the couples — Duane Gajewski and Doug Benson, Lindzi Campbell and Jesse Dykhuis, John Rittman and Tom Trisko–  in March. The judge said that until the Minnesota Supreme Court overturns Baker v. Nelson, a 1971 case that said same-sex couples cannot marry in Minnesota, “same-sex marriage will not exist in this state.”So the couples are taking their case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals with hopes that they can get it heard before the Minnesota Supreme Court.“The appellants challenge MN DOMA and the obstacle it poses to the appellants’ enjoyment of 515 separate laws that confer tangible benefits upon married couples and their families, and relieve the injuries the appellants face in taxation, inheritance, powers of attomey, health care, and child rearing, amongst other matters,” the court filings for the couples read.Attorneys for the couples argue that the 1971 Baker decision doesn’t apply, arguing that the current case is about recognizing marriages performed in other states.“Resting on its interpretation of the Book of Genesis for its holding, the Baker Court turns aside an early bid by a same-sex couple seeking to marry under Minnesota law,” court filings said. “Notwithstanding the state’s protests to the contrary, and notwithstanding the district court’s reluctance to rule contrary to Baker in spite of its stated misgivings, Baker does not determine the outcome of this case. In addressing the claims of same-sex couples lawfully married in other jurisdictions, this court may grant the appellants relief from MN DOMA, regardless of Baker.”In a bit of a twist, the Minnesota Family Council filed a brief saying that Baker is a “decisive” case. Continue Reading

Campaign finance board dismisses complaints against NOM, MFC

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A pair of campaign finance complaints against the National Organization for Marriage and the Minnesota Family Council were dismissed by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Wednesday. Common Cause Minnesota had filed the complaints alleging that advertising by the two groups on an anti-gay marriage amendment in 2010 constituted lobbying. The board ruled that the ads were too vague to trigger the registration requirement for lobbyists.The board dismissed the complaint against the Minnesota Family Council because the group did not pay for the ads. Though the ads were listed as “Paid for by the Minnesota Family Council and the National Organization for Marriage,” the Family Council did not actually contribute any funds to the ad campaign.MFC’s CEO John Helmberger told the board,Because of their shared goals of preserving traditional marriage in Minnesota, National Organization for Marriage asked MFC to help plan the production and placement of the [subject] ads. While MFC had input as to the production and placement of these ads, MFC did not pay for any part of their production or broadcast, nor is it obligated to reimburse the National Organization for Marriage for any part of the cost of producing or broadcasting the ads. Continue Reading

Another student sues Anoka-Hennepin over anti-LGBT bullying

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A student filed suit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District on Monday alleging that the school district did not do enough to protect her from bullying. Filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the new suit alleges that a lesbian student was repeatedly harassed, both verbally and physically, and that the school undertook disciplinary action against the student instead of her tormentors. The suit follows a similar lawsuit against the district filed in July and brings the number of students suing the school to six.A student at Jackson Middle School in Champlin, identified in the complaint only as E.R., endured bullying from the first day she transferred to the school as an 8th grader, according to the complaint. She was “subject to severe and pervasive harassment in gym class,” the complaint states. “When E.R. attempted to use the girls’ locker room for the first time, other female students openly mocked her, saying things like, ‘That’s a boy – there’s no boys allowed in here,’ and calling her a ‘he/she.’”Instead of reprimanding the offending students, the complaint alleges, E.R. was told by school staff that she must change her gym clothes at a separate time as the others students.“Predictably, further isolating and stigmatizing E.R. served only to increase the harassment,” the complaint contends. Continue Reading

Wisconsin anti-gay group accused of misleading voters in recall elections

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Wisconsin Family Action (WFA), a group affiliated with the Family Research Council and a leader in opposing LGBT rights in the state, is being accused by Democrats of sending out absentee ballot applications with an inaccurate deadline for the state’s Aug. 9 recall elections. The mailers were sent in conjunction with Americans for Prosperity, a group founded by the Koch Brothers who have ties to Gov. Scott Walker.The absentee ballot applications told voters they needed to be returned by Aug. 11, two days after the Aug. 9 deadline set by the state. Continue Reading