The school board representing Minnesota 's largest school district on Monday night will consider scrapping a controversial policy requiring teachers not to discuss homosexuality in school . The Anoka-Hennepin School District 's sexual orientation curriculum policy , adopted in 2009 , bars teachers from taking a position on homosexuality in the classroom and says such matters are best addressed outside of school . It 's become known as the neutrality policy . During Monday night 's hearing , the school board will propose replacing that policy with a `` controversial topics curriculum policy '' that , according to the proposed wording , `` recognizes the importance of providing information about controversial topics in a democracy . '' However , it states that teachers and staff `` shall not advocate personal beliefs or opinions '' regarding those controversial topics -- which are not named -- in the classroom . It 's one of many changes being considered to the district 's harassment , violence , and discrimination policy and its religious activities policy . The so-called `` neutrality policy '' triggered a federal lawsuit by students who allege the policy creates a toxic environment for lesbian , gay , bisexual , or transgender students -- or students perceived to be LGBT . The school district has refrained from commenting on specifics in the lawsuit . Superintendent Dennis Carlson has said in the past that the neutrality policy -- which has attracted just as many local supporters as it has critics to heated school board meetings -- is a reasonable response to a divided community . `` It 's a diverse community , '' Carlson told CNN earlier this year , `` and what we 're trying to do , what I 'm trying to do as a superintendent , is walk down the middle of the road . '' The Southern Poverty Law Center , which filed the lawsuit in July on behalf of the students , praised the school district for reconsidering the neutrality policy . `` The students and families ... feel that policy improvements are one important step forward in making the school district a more welcoming environment for all students , '' the SPLC said in a statement issued last week . Anoka-Hennepin encompasses the Twin Cities ' northwestern suburbs and is the state 's largest school district . The school district made headlines in recent years after seven students committed suicide between November 2009 and May 2011 . Parents and friends say four of those students were either gay , perceived to be gay or questioning their sexuality . They say , at least two of them were bullied because of their sexuality . The school district says there is no evidence that the suicides were linked to bullying , noting that it has a separate , and comprehensive , bullying prohibition policy . `` We have no evidence that bullying or harassment took place in any of those cases , '' Superintendent Carlson said . Carlson emphasized students need to report bullying , and he acknowledged `` gay students in our district struggle with bullying and harassment on a daily basis . '' Nevertheless , the string of suicides stirred public debate over the school 's sexual orientation curriculum policy . The school district is also in the middle of a federal investigation into `` allegations of harassment and discrimination in the Anoka-Hennepin School District based on sex , including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes , '' according to a district memo . The school board could vote on the proposed changes to the neutrality policy as soon as the next school board meeting in early January , said Julie Blaha , president of the local teachers ' union . Blaha , whose union represents about 2,800 teachers in the school district , plans to meet with the teachers to formulate a `` position statement '' on the proposed changes . She said she wants to make sure the policy clearly defines `` controversial topics '' and what it means for teachers and staff to `` advocate personal beliefs or opinions , '' which the proposed policy prohibits . Overall , Blaha says she welcomes changes to the existing neutrality policy , which she described as vague and difficult for teachers to interpret . `` Neutrality has not given us good guidance in the classroom , '' Blaha explained . `` You can interpret that so many ways ( so ) it had a chilling effect on any discussion . `` And these times when ... our gay students are under more likely to be a target of bullying , that 's not the time to chill a discussion about sexual orientation , '' she said .
Minnesota school board to propose changes to controversial `` neutrality policy '' Under the policy , teachers are barred from discussing homosexuality in the classroom . The proposed changes would allow for controversial topics to be examined in the classroom . The previous policy triggered a federal lawsuit by a group of students .