UMLC Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Major Student Speech Case
Coalition Calls for Legislative Action to Address Unlawful DEI Mandates in Minnesota Schools
A coalition of parent and education advocacy groups is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to conduct a “top-to-bottom audit” of the state’s education laws and policies to address what they describe as toxic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates that conflict with federal law. In a letter sent to Senate President Bobby Joe Champion and House […]
Prior Lake Teacher Sues, Citing “Heckler’s Veto” of Private Speech
A Prior Lake-Savage school district teacher who was suspended without pay for a political post she made in a private Facebook group has filed a federal lawsuit against the school district and two administrators. The lawsuit, filed by the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), alleges that the defendants violated the teacher’s First Amendment rights to […]
U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Pollyann Sorcan in Free Speech Case
Today, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and ruled in favor of Pollyann Sorcan, a school board member who was unlawfully censured and removed from committee assignments for expressing views that district officials opposed. The ruling holds that local officials and school districts cannot dodge accountability for violating fellow […]
UMLC Requests Federal Department of Education Investigation Into Minnesota School Districts Violating Title IX
The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) has formally requested that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigate 15 Minnesota school districts for violations of Title IX and recent Executive Orders protecting women’s rights and student safety in sex-segregated spaces and athletics. The letter, sent today to United States Department of Education […]
UMLC Calls on Prior Lake-Savage Area School District to Apologize to Teacher Censored for Facebook Speech Supporting Trump Immigration Policy
The educator was disciplined for political speech protected under the First Amendment and suspended for seven days without pay Yesterday, the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), representing fourth grade teacher Brooke Zahn, sent a letter to the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District, demanding they rescind all disciplinary actions against Ms. Zahn and issue a formal public apology. […]
Law Firms Urge Rochester School District to Avoid Implementing Policy that Violates Parental Rights
Groups warn of legal action if the district transitions a child without parental notice or consent The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) are warning the Rochester School District that their new gender identity policy is unconstitutional and that they will sue the District if it ever […]
More UMLC Activity Against Critical Race Theory Indoctrination
by Doug Seaton, President of UMLC In November and December 2021, and into January 2022, UMLC is advancing the fight against the plague of Critical Race Theory indoctrination. UMLC is opposing CRT in our schools and fighting for employees against actual “purges” of those who oppose this divisive, racist and anti-American ideology by our public […]
The Teachers’ Union Has Got to Go — Back to Basics!
By Douglas P. Seaton, JD, Ph.D. What do Covid closures and mandates, remote learning, Critical Race Theory and its spin-offs, anti-heterosexual and anti-family propaganda in the schools, teacher-centered rather than student-centered education, exclusion of parents from their students “learning,” and often from schools and school board meetings, and declining school discipline, academic focus and student […]
UMLC sets the record straight on concerned parents’ data requests
After the Mankato Free Press ran an editorial criticizing UMLC’s client’s data request to the Owatonna School District, UMLC’s James Dickey responded to set the record straight. You can find the published copy of the letter here. The editorial board, likely based on misinformation provided to it, had criticized UMLC’s data request on behalf of […]