Fact Check: No, Minnesota Law Approved by Walz Doesn't Ban Christians, Jews or Muslims from Teaching

Alex Kasprak
Updated ·3-min read
Getty Images
Getty Images

Claim:

A law approved by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz bans Christians, Jews and Muslims from teaching.

Rating:

Rating: False
Rating: False

In late August 2024, several far-right media outlets rehashed an old talking point about Democratic vice-presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: That he passed a law that "bans Christians, Jews, Muslims from teaching."

Given such bold headline claims, one might be led to believe that Tim Walz passed a law that bans Christians, Jews, or Muslims from teaching at Minnesota public schools. He did not. These headlines are an aggressive and inflammatory reading of teaching licensure guidelines set to take effect in July 2025. In part, these updated regulations require teachers to:

[Foster] an environment that ensures student identities such as race/ethnicity, national origin, language, sex and gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical/developmental/emotional ability, socioeconomic class, and religious beliefs are historically and socially contextualized, affirmed, and incorporated into a learning environment where students are empowered to learn and contribute as their whole selves.

The argument that such a requirement bars Christians or other religious individuals from receiving a teaching license in Minnesota is that it supposedly forces teachers to "reject their faiths' declaration that God has created only two sexes, male and female." These are talking points that have been pushed aggressively by Koch-linked, dark money conservative legal groups opposed to teacher licensing requirements.

The most recent round of headlines originated with a story in The Federalist written by Joy Pullman — author of a book arguing that "queer politics mean the end of America." Pullman published a nearly identical article about the new licensing requirements in January 2023. Her sources included Upper Midwest Law Center, a think-tank partnered with the Koch-linked State Policy Network, and the Minnesota-based Child Protection League, described as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The claim that the new Minnesota licensing requirements ban religious individuals from teaching is a politically motivated, bad-faith talking point. Because the law does not ban Christians, Jews, or Muslims from teaching in Minnesota, the claim is False.

Sources:

8710.0310 - MN Rules Part. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8710.0310/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

"Anti-LGBT Activities." Southern Poverty Law Center, https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/04/03/anti-lgbt-activities. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

Armiak, David. "Charles Koch's 'Stand Together' Donor Conduits Move $176 Million into His Network, Higher Education, and Right-Wing Policy, Advocacy, Litigation, and Media Groups in 2022." EXPOSEDbyCMD, 20 Dec. 2023, https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2023/12/20/charles-kochs-stand-together-donor-conduits-move-176-million/.

Arnold, Sarah. "Tim Walz Under Fire for Latest Scandal That Bans Christian, Jewish Teachers From Public Schools." Townhall.Com, 29 Aug. 2024, https://townhall.com/tipsheet/saraharnold/2024/08/29/tim-walz-is-under-fire-for-reportedly-banning-christian-jewish-teachers-from-teaching-in-public-schools-n2644079.

Pullmann, Joy. "Minnesota To Ban Christians From Teaching In Public Schools." The Federalist, 12 Jan. 2023, https://thefederalist.com/2023/01/12/minnesota-poised-to-ban-christians-muslims-and-jews-from-teaching-in-public-schools/.

"Research & Commentary: Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality." The Heartland Institute, https://heartland.org/publications/research-commentary-efforts-to-improve-teacher-quality/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

School Board Draws Outrage & Protests for Hosting Anti-LGBTQ+ Speakers. https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/3/16/school-board-draws-outrage-protests-hosting-anti-lgbtq-speakers. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

Unruh, Bob. "'Totalitarian and Unconstitutional': Tim Walz Ban on Christian Teachers Set to Hit Schools in Just Months * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh." WorldNetDaily, 27 Aug. 2024, https://www.wnd.com/2024/08/totalitarian-and-unconstitutional-tim-walz-ban-on-christian-teachers-set-to-hit-schools-in-just-months/.

"Upper Midwest Law Center." State Policy Network, https://spn.org/organization/upper-midwest-law-center/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

Updates:

Sept. 5, 2024: This article was revised to clarify that Upper Midwest Law Center is a partner of the Koch-linked State Policy Network.

Latest stories