A settlement has been reached in a federal lawsuit alleging a St. Paul charter school violated a sixth-grader's free-speech rights by blocking her from handing out fliers opposing abortion.

Terms of the agreement were not detailed in U.S. District Court records.

But Nova Classical Academy said in a news release that the agreement called for the school to clarify its policies regarding free speech and the distribution of materials at school. The agreement did not contain any finding of fault or violation of law by any party, the school said.

Nicholas Zinos, a Catholic book retailer and reviewer, sued the school in April on behalf of his daughter, Annie, after she and her friends were told that some people were offended by the fliers and that handing them out was not allowed before, during or after school.

The suit alleged that Annie and her friends were told then that school policy required students to obtain prior approval. But, the suit said, "there are no written guidelines … to follow when deciding which posters, fliers or notices to approve."

Anthony Lonetree