Anti-levy group to OAH: Why can't we lie?

Star Tribune: November 09, 2007 – 9:31 PM: Paul Levy: Robbinsdale school official added to suit

An anti-levy group that claims its First Amendment rights were violated added the Robbinsdale superintendent who described the group's tactics as 'racist' to its lawsuit against the state Friday.

Stan Mack, superintendent of Robbinsdale School District 281, said Friday that the anti-levy 281 CARE Committee acted 'without conscience' and questioned the group's 'understanding of truth.' ...

The groups are suing the Office of Administrative Hearing over the state statute that they say bans political speech, and have demanded a jury trial.

'Stan Mack and his school district need to stop intimidating grass-roots activists and study the Constitution and free speech. After all, they are responsible for teaching their public school students how democracy works. Democracy is speech -- not lawsuits,' Kaardal said in a news release Friday.

The anti-levy campaign organized by Iowa consultant Paul Dorr included a 36-second taped phone message to district residents that said in part that 'district problems are brought in with nonresident students.'

'The issue we want to carefully explore [is]: What were the limitations of false communications that occurred?' he [Mack]said.

When contacted Friday, Ben Wogsland, a spokesman for the state attorney general, said the office generally does not comment on pending litigation.

An earlier story announcing the suit:
Star Tribune: November 08, 2007 – 10:40 PM: Paul Levy: Anti-levy groups sue state over ban on distortions

An anti-levy group whose tactics were described by Robbinsdale's superintendent as 'racist, without conscience and untruthful' filed suit against the state Thursday, claiming its First Amendment rights have been violated.

The 281 CARE Committee, whose campaign helped defeat tax levy for the Robbinsdale School District on Tuesday, sued the state over its statute that bans factual distortions relating to school referendums.

'I'm amazed that any side in any election would take a preemptive move to say, 'We want to have the right to lie or use untruths in our election[emphasis added],'' Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators and a former Northfield superintendent, said of the suit.