St. Louis Park Public Schools will allow opt-outs for families who don’t want their children to read books with LGBTQ+ characters, after six Somali Muslim families threatened to sue the district .
“We think this is a win for religious freedom for people of all faiths, without even having to go to court,” said Kayla Toney, an attorney for the First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based law firm focused on religious freedom that represents the parents.
Hodan Hassan, who has lived in St. Louis Park for 14 years and has four children in the district, said that she was glad when the district granted her request to allow her children to opt out of books with LGBTQ+ characters last week.
“We came to America for religious freedom in the Constitution, and so our kids will have a great opportunity,” Hodan said in an interview. “By granting us and other families the opportunity to opt out of teaching that violates our deeply held religious beliefs, families are able to raise their children according to the principle that they value the most.”