The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota confirmed Thursday that it has reached a settlement in a civil suit against the former director of the now-defunct Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA) charter school.
The tentative agreement, filed last week in federal court, follows last month’s settlement for $1.4 million in bankruptcy court against the school. The ACLU had been seeking to recover $2.4 million from TiZA.
Both actions still have to be agreed to by the respective courts, said Teresa Nelson, an attorney for the ACLU.
Nelson said the group would not comment on the settlement involving the school’s former director, Asad Zaman, until the federal court approves the settlement.
Zaman could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The ACLU sued TiZA in January 2009, alleging that the school was using taxpayer money to promote Islam. Even after the school closed its campuses in Inver Grove Heights and Blaine and declared bankruptcy last year, the ACLU continued to press its case, saying it hoped to draw a “bright line” between religion and other Minnesota charter schools.
