Excerpt:
A judge ruled Tuesday that he will not dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA) illegally promotes religion, but he has thrown out claims brought against the Minnesota Department of Education in the same dispute.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota sued the Inver Grove Heights charter school in January, claiming that the public school is endorsing Islam in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
In a written statement on Tuesday, TiZA attorney Erick Kaardal pointed out that the judge dismissed one of three claims brought by the ACLU against the K-8 school, where most students are Somali. He said school officials remain confident that TiZA is not promoting religion in violation of the First Amendment.