A group of Minnesotans are planning to file three lawsuits against education, health care and state institutions after alleging bullying, retaliation against employees, and First Amendment violations related to critical race theory in the state.

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Only one case, the one against the school district, has been filed in federal court. The other two parties have been required to submit their claims to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before their suits can continue.

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One of the EEOC complaints was filed by Dr. Tara Gustilo, a physician in the Hennepin Healthcare system, who claimed the system demoted her as chair of its obstetrics and gynecology department because of “her polite opposition to the critical race theory that’s saturating her organization.”

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In the complaint, the physician revealed she spoke out against her department’s public support of a Black Lives Matter event and was told that some of her Facebook posts objecting to critical race theory affected her “ability to lead.”

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The second EEOC complaint was filed by Joe Norgren, a 27-year employee of the Minnesota Security Hospital, who said he was forced to retire early after experiencing religious discrimination.

Norgren, who is Native American, claims he was required to attend training on “How to Be Anti-Racist” and “Understanding Gender Identity and Expression.” After the first training reportedly taught him that America is the “source” of “racist ideas,” he requested religious exemption from the second and was denied.

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The suit against the Lakeview school district argues that by allowing classrooms to display “Black Lives Matter” posters and refusing to display “Blue Lives Matter” or “All Lives Matter,” the defendants created a “racially hostile environment” while promoting “racism and racial inequality,” leading students to “think of race as a dividing concept.” {snip}

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