Montana judge upholds suit over Native education requirement

By HALLIE GOLDEN
Associated Press

A judge in Montana refused to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges the state’s unique constitutional requirement to teach students about Native American history and culture has not been upheld. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2021 in District Court in Great Falls, Montana, was brought by Native American tribes, parents and students against state education leaders. The hearing on Tuesday comes 50 years after the state’s constitution that embedded this educational requirement took effect. Other states, including Connecticut, Washington, Oregon, California and North Dakota, have committed in recent years to boosting these types of educational requirements, but Montana remains the only one that includes it in its constitution.