Alaska Attorney General and Education Commissioner press Anchorage School District after ‘disclaimer’ sticker placed on US founding documents

Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and Education Commissioner Deena Bishop are demanding answers from the Anchorage School District after the district distributed pocket-sized copies of the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence with a sticker stating that ASD “does not endorse these materials or the viewpoint expressed in them.”

In a letter sent Thursday to Anchorage School Board President Carl Jacobs, Cox and Bishop called the reports “troubling” and said the district’s use of a disclaimer on foundational American texts raises serious questions about how the district approves and labels materials. ASD leaders have already apologized publicly and are working to remove the stickers, but the state officials said the issue goes beyond a simple mistake.

“The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are foundational American documents,” the letter states, noting that teaching students about the country’s origins, their rights, and the government’s duty to protect those rights is central to ASD’s mission. Cox and Bishop also pointed out that Alaska law requires school board members to swear an oath to support and defend both the U.S. and Alaska constitutions.

The misapplied disclaimer, they wrote, “invited confusion” about which principles the district affirms. While acknowledging ASD’s quick apology and corrective steps, Cox and Bishop said the incident highlights broader concerns with the district’s “flyer-approval policy,” which ASD has cited as the reason a third-party requestor affixed the sticker.

The letter requests written responses within 14 days addressing several points:

• Which ASD office advised or authorized the placement of the disclaimer stickers on the Pocket Constitutions
• Whether ASD staff or volunteers were involved in inspecting or approving the stickers
• Whether any other books or educational materials—beyond flyers—have ever been marked with similar disclaimers
• Whether ASD has previously received any complaints or questions about these stickers
• Copies of the current and past versions of the district’s flyer-approval policy and any internal guidance
• Who drafted and approved the flyer-approval rules and whether legal review occurred
• How ASD defines “community flyer” and communicates that definition
• How the district tracks compliance with the disclaimer requirement and whether any reviews or spot checks have been conducted
• Which ASD office ensures consistent enforcement across schools and what training is provided to staff and volunteers

Cox and Bishop said the state is willing to assist the district in reviewing its policies “to help restore public confidence” and to ensure that Anchorage students are taught to “respect—and not disclaim—the founding principles of our nation.”

ASD has not yet issued a public response to the joint inquiry from the Attorney General and Education Commissioner.