[St. Paul, MN] In response to the U.S. Department of Education announcing it will terminate settlement agreements with schools that violated federal gender identity protections, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the following statement from Commissioner Rebecca Lucero:

“Minnesota will not allow discrimination to take root where our students learn and grow. The Minnesota Human Rights Act – Minnesota’s robust civil rights law—has explicitly prohibited discrimination based on gender identity since 1993. These protections are not optional, and they are not going away. We will use every tool available to ensure that Minnesota remains a place where every young person can thrive.”

“The Department of Human Rights will fully enforce state law as well as maintain settlement agreements with school districts. We expect every district will uphold its responsibility to provide a quality learning environment, free from discrimination for every student, including transgender and gender nonconforming students.”

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has secured major settlements with school districts, including a 2021 agreement with Anoka-Hennepin School District, which followed from a landmark decision by the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling that Minnesota schools must allow students to use locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Read more about that case here.

How to report discrimination 

If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Department of Human Rights by submitting this online form.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.

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