Booksology Ryan Fiereck, president of the St. Francis teachers union, said the settlement was a credit to parents, students, community members and authors who “stood with educators to defend the freedom to read in public schools.”
“The students’ stories and commitment to fixing this terrible policy were particularly inspiring,” he said.
Students walk out of St. Francis High School in protest of a book ban on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The settlements also required changes to the district’s review policy. In particular, it strikes references to BookLooks. The settlement lists other sites, such as Common Sense Media, Booklist and School Library Journal, that may be used to determine appropriate reading for certain grade levels.
Employees, students and parents can still request reconsideration of specific library materials, and two student representatives will be added to a library materials review committee. Removing a library material will require support from a super-majority of the review committee.
The school board can only overrule the review committee to remove a book after publishing a report of its findings and acting in a public meeting. The new policy must hold for three years, according to the settlement.
