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House Narrowly Passes Taxpayer Funded Religious Discrimination in Head Start; ACLU Calls on Senate to Preserve Civil Rights Protections (07/25/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today decried narrow passage in the House of legislation to reauthorize the Head Start early education program, that contains a stealth provision that would permit program providers to discriminate based on religion in their hiring and firing. The ACLU said that the bill, if passed, would inevitably cost many talented teachers their jobs and deny many children quality early childhood education.

Prominent Lawmakers Set to Condemn Flawed Head Start Bill; Taxpayer Funded Religious Discrimination Will Be Decried (07/16/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded news that nine prominent House lawmakers, including the Minority Whip, will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill to condemn controversial legislation to reauthorize the Head Start early childhood education program, which has drawn fire because in addition to lingering funding concerns it would permit participating taxpayer-funded religious groups to discriminate in their hiring.

ACLU Decries House Legislation that Earmarks $100 Million For Unproven Faith-Based Drug Treatment Programs (07/10/2003)
WASHINGTON - Responding to House legislation that would earmark $100 million for largely faith-based drug treatment initiatives, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned that the lack of quality standards and licensing requirements could harm participants and violate civil liberties.

ACLU Says Bush Support for Head Start Bill Masks Provision Allowing Religious Discrimination in Early Childhood Education (07/07/2003)
WASHINGTON - Responding to remarks by President Bush this morning in support of the current version of a new Head Start reauthorization bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today again condemned a stealth provision in the legislation that would permit Head Start education providers to discriminate based on religion in their hiring, a move that could cost many talented teachers their jobs and deny many children top quality early childhood education.

ACLU Endorses Legislation to Overturn Bush Executive Order That Allowed Discrimination in Workplace (06/25/2003)
WASHINGTON - On the 62d anniversary of the first Presidential executive order banning government-funded religious discrimination, the American Civil Liberties Union today endorsed new legislation that would void President Bush's executive order that imposed by White House fiat much of his plan for government-funded religion. The ACLU said that the bill would stop blatant discrimination by religious groups in how they hire and to whom they provide taxpayer-funded services.

ACLU Urges Congress To Reject Voucher Scheme in District of Columbia; Says Plan Hurts Already Disadvantaged Kids (06/24/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today told lawmakers that if they approve a voucher program for the District of Columbia they will be funneling money away from an already debt-ridden public school system, putting most of the District's almost 80,000 public school students at a further disadvantage.

ACLU Says White House Support for Religious Discrimination Is Not Shared by Congress or the American Public (06/24/2003)
WASHINGTON - Reacting to a new White House report arguing for taxpayer-funded religious discrimination, the American Civil Liberties Union today said that the President's clear support for religious discrimination is not shared by most of Congress and the American people.

ACLU Says Orlando Court Decision in Veil Case Permits Government to Needlessly Restrict Religious Freedom Without Enhancing Security (06/06/2003)
ORLANDO, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said today's circuit court ruling in the case of a Muslim homemaker who declined on religious grounds to remove her face veil for a driver's license photo is a needless restriction on religious freedom with no benefit to public safety.

ACLU Asks Florida Court to Reinstate Suspended Driver's License of Muslim Woman Forced to Remove Her Face Veil (05/27/2003)
ORLANDO, FL -- Saying the government's crackdown on rights in the wake of 9/11 does not justify religious scapegoating of Muslims, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked an circuit court judge here to reinstate the driving privileges of a Muslim homemaker whose license was revoked after she declined on religious grounds to remove her face veil for a driver's license photo.

As House Narrowly Adopts Bill to Allow Federally Funded Discrimination, ACLU Calls on Senate to Once Again Protect Civil Rights (05/08/2003)
WASHINGTON - As the House narrowly passed legislation to permit federally funded religious organizations to discriminate against employees based on their beliefs, the ACLU today called on the Senate to preserve current civil rights protections in federal job-training programs. The ACLU said that House legislation includes unnecessary provisions that will undo key federal protections for potential employees.