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Public forum at Prior Lake‑Savage study session raises free‑speech concerns and warns of a lawsuit
Summary
Five community speakers addressed the board during public forum on Feb. 24, defending a staff member's free‑speech rights, objecting to library materials, and warning the district about a potential federal lawsuit and its likely legal costs.
Five members of the public addressed the Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools board during the Feb. 24 public forum, focusing on free‑speech concerns about a staff member and alleging the district faces a possible federal lawsuit if certain community requests are not met.
Doug Dvorak opened public comment on behalf of Brooks Hahn, saying "Brooks Hahn did absolutely nothing wrong" and urging equal treatment for speech regardless of political viewpoint. Other speakers said they were motivated to act by materials or social‑media posts they found objectionable. One speaker identified only as Thomas (and Sean) said he objected to a book his then‑4½‑year‑old daughter brought home that he believed discussed suicide; he said he removed the book from the school and that school staff resisted returning it.
Rick Storley warned the board that, "4 days from now there is a deadline of whether a lawsuit will be filed against PLSAS or not," and described potential federal‑court processes and high legal costs. Storley told the board that discovery could require production of phones and emails, that depositions would be taken under oath, and that litigation expenses could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He urged the board to consider compromise to avoid protracted, expensive litigation.
Other public speakers raised related concerns: Mike Vonarks said he was concerned about staff political posts and questioned whether the district will apply discipline consistently; he also criticized the district's academic performance, saying he believed "50% of the kids" at the high‑school level were not operating at grade level. Zach Lean closed the forum by urging civility and urging the district and community to find a constructive path forward.
Why it matters
Speakers framed their remarks as matters of free speech, parental authority over instructional materials and district accountability. One speaker warned of an imminent federal lawsuit and estimated substantial legal costs to the district; the board did not record any formal action at the study session in response to public comment but heard the warning and discussed legal and procedural implications later in the meeting.
What the transcript records
The public comments were confined to the appointed public forum period and lasted the allotted time; administration and board members referenced the public input during the later budget and personnel discussions. The board did not take immediate public action based solely on these public‑forum remarks at the study session.
