72,000 Students At RISK – Security Denied To Faith Schools

Governor Tim Walz’s refusal to fund school security for 72,000 nonpublic students leaves faith-based schools vulnerable to attacks, even after tragic shootings proved the dangers.

Story Highlights

Judicial Watch sues Walz for excluding Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim schools from $50 million security grants and programs.
2023 pleas from Catholic leaders ignored after Nashville shooting; Minneapolis Catholic school shooting in 2025 killed 2, injured 17.
72,000 nonpublic students at risk amid rising threats to religious institutions in Minnesota.
Walz administration claims some aid exists, but key grants remain public-only, sparking equal protection lawsuit.
Minnesota’s SHIELD bill perpetuates exclusion, drawing conservative backlash over family safety neglect.

Lawsuit Challenges Walz’s School Security Exclusion

Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota against Governor Tim Walz. The conservative watchdog accuses his administration of violating equal protection by denying nonpublic schools access to state security funding. Programs like the $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant and Safe Schools Program serve only public districts and charters. This leaves 72,000 students in Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim schools without vital protections. Faith-based institutions face heightened threats, undermining family safety priorities that conservatives champion.

Ignored Warnings Followed Deadly Shootings

On April 14, 2023, Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director Jason Adkins and MINNDEPENDENT President Tim Benz urged Walz to include nonpublic schools in the $50 million grant. They cited the Nashville Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023, and local threats to Jewish and Muslim schools. In June 2022, Archbishop Bernard Hebda called for a special legislative session to fund security for all schools. These requests went unheeded. Around 2025, a Minneapolis Catholic school shooting killed two students and injured 17, validating the warnings and exposing policy failures.

Stakeholders Demand Equal Protection for Kids

Minnesota’s 72,000 nonpublic students attend schools excluded from levy-based Safe Schools Program funding for emergency training and mental health support. The Minnesota Department of Education administers grants limited to public and charter schools per state statutes. Catholic leaders view this as urgent neglect, especially post-shootings. Walz’s office claims private schools receive some state funding and trainings, but denies access to core grants. Judicial Watch, with a history of equal-protection suits, frames the policy as discriminatory, prioritizing public schools over vulnerable faith communities.

Power dynamics pit Walz’s executive control against litigation from watchdogs and advocates. Catholic Conference maintains ongoing dialogues with the governor, yet 2023 requests remain unresolved. MINNDEPENDENT represents nonpublic interests, emphasizing student safety. The Minnesota Legislature debates the SHIELD bill, which continues excluding nonpublic schools from new funding amid budget pressures.

Ongoing Developments and Broader Impacts

As of early 2026, the lawsuit proceeds without court rulings. The SHIELD bill remains pending, upholding public-only security allocations. Catholic spokespeople confirm denied requests and letter authenticity. This dispute echoes Judicial Watch’s prior actions against DEI practices and other inequities. Short-term, an injunction could force inclusion, pressuring Walz politically. Long-term, it sets precedents for faith-school funding nationwide, affecting economic allocations over $50 million and social trust in government protections.

Affected communities in the Twin Cities face real threats, fueling conservative distrust of Democrat-led overreach that neglects traditional values. Nonpublic schools serve diverse religious families committed to safe learning environments. The case highlights disparities that erode equal protection under the law, a core constitutional principle.