Lakeville board announces closed sessions to seek legal advice in ongoing litigation including Cajune v. ISD 194

At its Jan. 14, 2025 meeting the Lakeville Public School District board placed multiple closed-session items on the agenda to consult with legal counsel under Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.05, subdivision 3(b). One listed item identified litigation in Cajune, et al. v. ISD 194, Court File No. 22-cv-02135-JWB; the agenda states the board would seek legal advice on responding to the lawsuit, the alleged claims against the district, the District Attorney’s analysis, and options for responding to those claims.

The agenda also lists two similarly worded closed sessions to discuss litigation pending or threatened by a former student; no case numbers or additional factual details are provided for those items in the transcript excerpt. The agenda directs that approval of the closed session occur upon adjournment, but the transcript does not record whether the board actually approved or convened the closed sessions during the meeting.

The agenda’s citation of Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.05, subdivision 3(b) indicates the board intends to rely on the statutory exception that permits attorney-client consultation in closed session when litigation is pending or threatened. Because the provided transcript is limited to the agenda lines, the public record here includes the board’s intent to seek counsel but does not disclose the substance of any legal advice, the claims at issue, or procedural steps the board will take to resolve the matters.