Students over Politics748 vs. EAM, litigation edition

Apparently, Equity Alliance of Minnesota, aka EAM, thinks that it can keep its work secret. Kids Over Politics 748 thinks that the equity survey that EAM did for the Sartell-St. Stephen school district is the district's work product. In fact, James Dickey of the Upper Midwest Law Center, which represents Kids Over Politics 748, is preparing to file a lawsuit to get a copy of the survey.

Dickey is quoted as saying "If you do not provide the responsive data or indicate that you will promptly provide it, our clients have authorized us to commence a lawsuit under the MGDPA to compel production and seek reasonable costs and attorney fees." EAM hasn't complied with 3 previous requests, which likely means that EAM is preparing to fight the lawsuit. If that's the case, they'll lose.

Equity Alliance doesn’t directly operate any schools anymore but is still considered a joint powers organization and is therefore subject to the Data Practices Act, Dickey argues in his letter.

Equity Alliance’s member districts are asked to enter into a joint powers agreement, the purpose of which is to "support the movement toward systemic E-21 education equity and integration," according to a 2017 copy of the agreement.

Districts that sign the JPA then appoint one member to Equity Alliance’s Joint Powers Board, which is "vested with all those powers granted to independent school districts by Minnesota statute."

Whether Sartell signed that JPA is irrelevant. EAM administered the equity survey for the Sartell-St. Stephen school district. EAM was paid $54,243 for administering that survey. EAM put the survey together but the "product" was purchased by the school district. That means that the survey is subject to the Minnesota Data Practices Act.

The final presentation is especially worthwhile watching. The speaker identifies himself as an economics professor at St. Cloud State. During Mr. Switzer's presentation, he accuses EAM of either not knowing what they're doing or of being dishonest.

SIDENOTE: I have requested and received communications between St. Cloud State and a company it hired for rebranding the University years ago. In that instance, I requested (and received) "all communications" between SCSU and Earthbound Marketing Group. Clearly, EAM's survey was paid for by the Sartell-St. Stephen school district. If it doesn't comply with UMLC's demands voluntarily, they will be forced to comply by a court.

EAM is likely in trouble over this and other difficulties it's having. EAM relied on staying just below the radar with its radical agenda. Now that it's getting exposed, school boards will want to eliminate the political headaches associated with EAM.