American Civil Liberties Union

Last month, we told you about Wayne Weatherbee, a Clermont, Fla., businessman whose free speech rights were being quashed by city officials. Weatherbee erected 12 signs on his business property in October 2009 in political protest against the city, which he claims selectively enforced its laws against him and his business, including falsely arresting him. Beginning Tuesday, February 2, the city began imposing a $75/day fine on Bee's Auto until the signs are removed or Weatherbee obtains a permit.

Islam is of the Devil.

That is the T-shirt slogan that instigated a hailstorm of debate in Gainesville, Fla., about where to draw the line between offensive speech and speech that is intended to incite harm or violence. The T-shirts in question were worn to school by students of varying ages from elementary to high school.

Initially, students — all members of the Dove World Outreach Center, a Christian church — went to school wearing shirts with “Jesus answered ‘I am the way and the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except through me’” and “I stand with Dove World Outreach Center” on the front and “Islam is of the Devil” on the back. School administrators responded by banning the shirts, and in some cases, suspending the students.

(Click here to read this blog post in English.)

Cuando la hermana de Rita “Fany” Cote marco al 911 para reportar abuso físico de su novio, ella pensó que la policía le ayudaría a ella, pero nunca imaginó que pasaría después. Los oficiales de policía de Taveres, Florida llegaron y en vez de prender al sospechoso, exigieron la prueba de residencia legal de Fany, que servía como intérprete de su hermana. ¿Parece inverosímil? Es exactamente lo qué sucedió a Fany, que sólo tiene 23 años.

Last fall Yulee High School administrators denied recognition to a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and denied them use of school facilities, although other student clubs were given access. This followed a similar discriminatory act when Yulee Middle School denied the same student access to school facilities in the 2007-08 school year for a GSA. So, this week, the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project sued the School District of Nassau County (near Jacksonville) alleging that the school violated the students’ First Amendment and federal Equal Access Act rights.