Home : Newsroom

ACLU Challenges Unlawful Strip Search Over Ibuprofen Allegation In School (03/03/2008)
SAN FRANCISCO - In legal papers delivered today, the American Civil Liberties Union joined an ongoing case to represent a 13-year-old girl unconstitutionally strip searched by school officials after a classmate’s uncorroborated accusation of ibuprofen possession. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the search constitutional on September 21, 2007. The panel’s 2-1 decision, which greatly expands the circumstances under which schools may strip search students, will now be reviewed by the full Ninth Circuit.

ACLU National Office Congratulates ACLU Of San Diego & Imperial Counties On 75 Years Of Defending Civil Rights (03/03/2008)
NEW YORK - The following statement can be attributed to American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony Romero: “As the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties celebrates its 75th anniversary, the ACLU National office congratulates the affiliate for its tireless efforts in defending the Constitution and upholding civil rights. Since its founding three quarters of a century ago by Helen Marston, the San Diego affiliate has been ever vigilant in defending the civil rights of all people who live in this border region and has handled some of the most important cases in history regarding the rights of farm workers and immigrants in the U.S.

ACLU of Arkansas Applauds Decision by Arkansas Technical University President to Lift Ban on Showing Sondheim-Weidman Musical, “Assassins” (02/29/2008)
Little Rock, Arkansas – Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas applauded the decision by Arkansas Technical University President Robert Brown to lift the ban he had imposed on the Theater Department showing the Sondheim-Weidman musical, “Assassins.” Dr. Brown first announced he would permit only one closed performance of the musical for family members of the cast. He later postponed the play indefinitely, “out of respect for the families of victims” of shootings at other campuses, because of the play’s “portrayal of graphically violent scenes.” The University later indicated that concerns about security issues that might be raised by the sounds of gunfire in the production prompted the postponement.

Community Groups Set Deadline for St. Vincent Response (02/29/2008)
In a letter sent to the St. Vincent Hospital Board of Directors on Wednesday, a coalition of community groups called on board members to tell the public by March 4th whether the hospital will share details of its proposed partnership agreement with Catholic-run CHRISTUS Health and how that partnership would affect the provision of family planning, reproductive health services, and end-of-life care at the hospital.

FISA Fact Check: Setting the Record Straight on the White House (02/29/2008)
As the House of Representatives takes the time it needs to negotiate a bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the White House has launched a public assault on the legislative body. The administration claims that the House has endangered the country by letting the Protect America Act (PAA) expire and should pass the bill already approved by the Senate. The Senate bill, however, is unconstitutional and contains immunity for the telecommunications companies that aided the president’s warrantless wiretapping program. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging the House to continue to stand strong for the Constitution.

MCLU Blasts Sen. Susan Collins for Pandering to the Bush Administration and Selling Mainers’ Privacy Down the River (02/29/2008)
Portland, ME – The Maine Civil Liberties Union condemned a letter sent by Senator Susan Collins today that attempts to pressure Governor John Baldacci into complying with the federal Real ID Act against the will of the people and legislature of Maine.

ACLU Lawsuit Says Officials Unconstitutionally Prevented Man From Voting In Virginia (02/28/2008)
RICHMOND, VA – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Virginia today filed a federal lawsuit against a Virginia county’s voting officials for refusing to allow a resident to vote when he was unable to produce identification. Virginia law allows registered voters in state elections to vote without an ID, once they have signed an identity verification form.

ACLU Refutes President’s Claims on FISA, Telecom Immunity (02/28/2008)
Washington, DC – President Bush spoke once again today on the House’s refusal to pass a Senate-approved bill updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). He also, once again, pleaded for retroactive and prospective immunity for the telecommunications companies who aided in his warrantless wiretapping program, claiming that the suits brought against them were a “financial gravy train” for attorneys.

Civil Rights Coalition Continues To Fight Arizona Employer Sanctions Law (02/28/2008)
PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) will continue to challenge the so-called Legal Arizona Workers Act in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The appellate court issued a decision today denying the coalition’s request to delay the law going into effect while the court considers the appeal. The court’s order did not express any view on the statute’s constitutionality and ordered the appeal to be expedited.

ACLU And EFF File To Intervene In Internet Free Speech Lawsuit (02/27/2008)
SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) last night filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that led a federal district judge to order the domain name Wikileaks.org shut down. The motion is on behalf of organizations and individuals that have accessed and used documents on the Wikileaks.org website in their work and want to continue to be able to do so.

Court Rules Connecticut Social Club Can’t Ban Women (02/27/2008)
MYSTIC, CT – In a victory for gender equality, a Connecticut Superior Court ruled that a local social club can no longer ban women from membership. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Connecticut on behalf of Sam Corcoran, who was denied membership in the German Social Society Frohsinn, Inc. because she is a woman. The court upheld an appellate court’s ruling that the social club was a public accommodation - not a private club - and subject to Connecticut’s civil rights laws banning discrimination.

U.S. Terror List Now Exceeds 900,000 Names (02/27/2008)
WASHINGTON – With the size of U.S. terrorist watch lists growing to absurd proportions – now in excess of 900,000 names – the American Civil Liberties Union today unveiled a new “ACLU Watch List Counter” intended to make vivid just how bloated and dysfunctional those lists have become.

Advocates Stand Together for Fairness in Federal Sentencing (02/26/2008)
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 26, activists from around the country, civil rights and professional organizations stood together to call for much-needed reform to the country’s federal sentencing laws. This press briefing and lobby event marked the culmination of a month-long series of events aimed at addressing the 20-year-old sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. According to current guidelines, a conviction for the sale of 500 grams of powder cocaine results in a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence, while the same penalty is triggered for sale or possession of only 5 grams of crack cocaine.

Private Housing Company Won’t Evict Domestic Violence Victims After ACLU Lawsuit (02/26/2008)
DETROIT – A groundbreaking settlement agreement finalized today between a domestic violence survivor, a private housing complex and a property management company offers victims of domestic violence, stalking, date rape and sexual assault far reaching protections from eviction and discrimination. This is the first settlement of its kind that applies to private housing.

ACLU Sues Over Tennessee’s Felon Disenfranchisement Law (02/25/2008)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit today in federal court challenging the state’s 2006 law that made the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of crimes contingent on the payment of all outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs), namely restitution and child support fees. According to the ACLU’s lawsuit, requiring some individuals to bear an undue financial burden before voting is tantamount to a poll tax in violation of the constitutional right to vote and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.

The Fear Factor (02/23/2008)
WASHINGTON - Statement of Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

Glaring Omissions In U.S. Testimony On Racial And Ethnic Discrimination, Says ACLU (02/22/2008)
NEW YORK - The U.S. government failed to adequately address problems of widespread racial and ethnic discrimination in America at hearings before the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva that ended today, despite testimony from the American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of human rights groups highlighting the existence of pervasive racism in this country. While the government delegation pointed to existing laws designed to protect civil rights, the committee noted that the U.S. often adopts narrow legal interpretations that prevent their enforcement.

Supreme Court Refuses To Review Warrantless Wiretapping Case (02/19/2008)
NEW YORK – The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to review a legal challenge to the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program. The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of prominent journalists, scholars, attorneys and national nonprofit organizations who say that the unchecked surveillance program is disrupting their ability to communicate effectively with sources and clients. The court’s decision today lets stand an appeals court’s ruling on narrow grounds that plaintiffs could not show with certainty that they had been wiretapped by the National Security Agency.

ACLU In Geneva To Testify On Ongoing Racial And Ethnic Injustice (02/18/2008)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union will be in Geneva this week to testify before the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the contents of a flawed U.S. government report that underreported the state of racial discrimination in the United States. In December 2007, the ACLU released a responsive independent shadow report highlighting the pervasive institutional, systemic and structural racism in America. The U.N. committee reviewed the ACLU and other NGOs’ reports before determining what questions it will ask the U.S. government at this week’s hearings.

ACLU, Common Cause Thank House of Representatives for Standing Up to the President (02/15/2008)
WASHINGTON – Today the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause thanked the House of Representatives for standing up to President Bush and refusing to be railroaded into considering the Senate’s controversial FISA bill. The president had demanded the House rush through a just-passed Senate bill, which would allow the government to spy on the overseas phone calls and emails of innocent Americans without a warrant – in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The bill would also give retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that gave the government private information about American citizens.