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ACLU Applauds Appeals Court Decision Striking Down Florida School Voucher Program (08/16/2004)
MIAMI, FL -- Saying Governor Jeb Bush can no longer ignore the Florida Constitution and divert much-needed tax dollars to private, sectarian schools, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today hailed a court of appeal decision striking down as unconstitutional the state's school voucher program.

Missouri School District Agrees to Stop Distributing Bibles to Students (06/03/2004)
KANSAS CITY, MO -- A Kansas City Metro Area school district has agreed to stop distributing Gideon International Bibles to elementary-school children on school premises, settling a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri on behalf of a Roman Catholic father of three.

After ACLU Intervention on Behalf of Christian Valedictorian, Michigan High School Agrees to Stop Censoring Religious Yearbook Entries (05/11/2004)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today announced an out-of-court settlement between the Utica Community School District and a local student over the censorship of her 2001 yearbook entry. The student's entry had been deleted from the yearbook because it contained a passage from the Bible.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Ruling Removing the Phrase "Under God" From Pledge of Allegiance Recited in Public Schools (03/24/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Supreme Court to uphold a federal appeals court ruling that public schools are constitutionally barred from linking patriotism and piety by reciting the phrase "under God" as part of the Pledge of Allegiance.

ACLU Joins Civil Rights and Education Leaders to Express Disappointment With Inclusion of Controversial Vouchers Program in Appropriations Bill (01/22/2004)
WASHINGTON - With the Senate adoption today of an omnibus appropriations measure for 2004, the American Civil Liberties Union joined with a broad coalition of national and local civil rights and education groups to express disappointment with the inclusion of controversial language in the District of Columbia Appropriations bill that will create the nation's first federally funded school voucher program.

ACLU Welcomes Senate Decision to Exclude Controversial Vouchers Program from Appropriations Bill (11/18/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the decision by the Senate to remove from the District of Columbia Appropriations bill controversial language that would have created the nation's first federally funded school voucher program. A similar provision passed in the House version of the bill on the razor-thin margin of one vote in September. The bill will most likely be included in the omnibus spending measure to be considered by Congress.

As House Narrowly Approves Controversial DC Voucher Scheme, ACLU Calls For Serious Reconsideration Before Bill's Final Passage (09/05/2003)
WASHINGTON - Acting with only a razor-thin margin, the House of Representatives today gave preliminary approval for a controversial voucher scheme for the District of Columbia and then postponed final consideration on the underlying DC appropriations bill until next week. In reaction, the American Civil Liberties Union strongly urged House members to reject the appropriations measure if the voucher provisions are not removed.

ACLU of Colorado Challenges Law Forcing Public School Teachers and Students to Recite the Pledge of Allegiance (08/12/2003)
DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado today filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging the constitutionality of a new law that requires teachers and students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day in all Colorado public schools.

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 Charges Missouri Public School District with Allowing Improper Religious Activities in Classroom (05/01/2003)
INDEPENDENCE, MO -- Saying that a teacher here taught religious claims from the Bible as historical fact, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri and Americans United for Separation of Church and State today filed a lawsuit against school district officials for allowing the teacher to promote improper religious activities in his history class.

ACLU of MA Defends Students Punished for Distributing Candy Canes with Religious Messages (02/21/2003)
NORTHAMPTON, MA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today asked a federal district court in Springfield to protect the First Amendment rights of high school students who were disciplined by school officials for distributing candy canes with religious messages just before Christmas.

Religious Code at HI High School a Relic of the Past Under Court Settlement (01/28/2003)
HONOLULU--The American Civil Liberties of Hawai'i today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed in federal district court on behalf of a male high school student here who challenged the constitutionality of his school's honor code that in part requires pledging "love for God."

ACLU Announces Settlement in Case Against Taxpayer Financing of Religion in Louisiana Abstinence-Only Programs (11/13/2002)
NEW ORLEANS-The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a settlement with the Louisiana governor's office in a case challenging the use of taxpayer dollars to fund religious activities in the Governor's Program on Abstinence.

West VA School District Ends Graduation Prayer Policy; Student's Lawsuit "Educated" Officials (08/14/2002)
CHARLESTON, WV - In response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, school board officials in Kanawha Valley today rescinded a policy allowing school-sponsored prayer at graduation ceremonies and agreed to promote respect for religious freedom.

Florida Court to Hear Arguments in Lawsuit Challenging School Voucher Scheme (07/09/2002)
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- A state court will hear arguments today on the constitutionality of Florida's statewide school voucher program in a case brought by a legal team including the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

As Graduation Approaches, Colorado Family Asks Court to End School-Sponsored Religious Exercises (05/23/2002)
DENVER--An Eastern Colorado family that has asked the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado for help in ending religious exercises in a Kiowa County public school is expected to testify in federal district court this Friday, the ACLU said today.  Sean Shields and his family are asking a school to end its endorsement of religion at graduation and other events.

Louisiana Family Seeks ACLU Help in Ending Sponsored Prayers in Public Schools (05/17/2002)
BATON ROUGE, LA--Acting on behalf of a family that declined to be identified for fear of retaliation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to end public school endorsement of prayer during graduation and award ceremonies.

ICLU Brings Lawsuit On Behalf of Students Required to Sing Lord's Prayer at Graduation (04/01/2002)
DES MOINES--Acting on behalf of 14-year-old twins and their parents, the Iowa Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit against the Woodbine Community School District in west central Iowa challenging the district's practice of having the school choir sing the Lord's Prayer at school graduation ceremonies scheduled for May 19. 

High Court Hears Arguments on Ohio Vouchers; ACLU Says Decision Will Have Nationwide Impact (02/19/2002)
NEW YORK--The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow on the constitutionality of school voucher schemes in a set of cases that presents the Justices with one of the most vexing social issues confronting the nation, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. 

School-Sponsored Prayers at VA Military Institute Wrongly Entangle Government and Religion, Court Declares (01/24/2002)
LYNCHBURG, VA--A federal court judge in Lynchburg ruled today that school-sponsored prayers at the Virginia Military Institute are unconstitutional because they allow government to ""become impermissibly entangled with religion.""