Former Member Sues Robbinsdale School Board Seeking $5M
A former member of the Robbinsdale Area School Board wants to take her one-time colleagues to court.
Sharon Brooks, who resigned from the board in February 2025, filed a civil suit against the board this September.
She’s seeking $5 million in damages.
Case Details
In the civil complaint, Brooks accused the board members serving from 2024-2025 of “racism and colorism; abuse of power (discrimination, harassment, ect.); defamation of character (libel and slander); [and] intentionally caused massive harm and suffering.”
Brooks submitted four requests to the court along with the financial demands in the lawsuit.
For instance, she wants the board to fire its current legal representation.
Likewise, she requested a “public apology and willingness to resign” from board members.
According to the court filing, Brooks wants the board to “institute [a] new policy that school board directors in RAS who are good standing members of the Minneapolis NAACP be allowed representation by the Minneapolis NAACP should a discrepancy (hearing, ect) occur.”
Brook’s final ask of the courts is that the board “add a newspaper such as the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder that speaks and represents the Black community (and other people of color) for the RAS reporting newspaper to avoid bias reporting, common in its current singular reporting source.”
A former member of the Robbinsdale Area School Board wants to take her one-time colleagues to court.
Filing Comes After Censure
The Robbinsdale School Board censured Brooks twice in 2024.
According to previous board investigations, Brooks and Board Member Caroline Long had a dispute related to Long’s racial status.
That dispute resulted in her two censures.
The board also disavowed a letter Brooks sent to the Sun Post and docked her pay.
Previous Lawsuit
In June 2025, Brooks filed a civil suit against Board Member ReNae Bowman.
In that case, she made claims of defamation and discrimination.
She requested $20,000, a public apology and that Bowman be “ordered to voluntarily vacate public office seat immediately.”
Brooks dismissed her case against Bowman without prejudice in court paperwork dated Sept. 3.
She filed the new suit against the entire board on Sept. 4.
Brooklyn Center | Brooklyn Park | Crystal | Golden Valley | New Hope | Plymouth | Robbinsdale
