American Civil Liberties Union

Student Rights:
Constitutional violations are far too common in public schools across the country. Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for the students that is conducive to learning. They also have a responsibility to respect each student's individual rights. Simply put, students have rights too. Learn more and take action to protect the rights guaranteed to all Americans.


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ACLU Position Paper: Your Right to Equality in Education

Student Rights : Freedom of Expression : Press Releases view all

NYCLU Says School District Cannot Suspend Students Who Fought Censorship by Reciting Vagina Monologues (03/13/2007)
NEW YORK - The New York Civil Liberties Union today expressed its strong support for three Westchester public high school students who were suspended for saying the word "vagina" during their performance last week of a passage from Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues.

Student in Supreme Court Free Speech Case Speaks About Suspension Over "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Banner (03/02/2007)
NEW YORK - In a teleconference with reporters today, 23-year-old Joseph Frederick spoke publicly for the first time in more than a year about his challenge to a 2002 high school suspension for displaying a sign saying "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at an off-campus event not sponsored by the school.

ACLU Files Federal Lawsuit On Behalf of Pennsylvania Student Suspended Over Remark (12/19/2006)
PITTSBURGH — The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a former Beaver County student charging that the school district violated the student’s First Amendment rights when it punished him for a single, spontaneous remark he made in response to repeated teasing.

ACLU of Rhode Island Files Lawsuit Challenging Ban of High School Yearbook Photo (12/12/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Portsmouth High School senior Patrick Agin, whose planned yearbook photo was rejected by the principal on the grounds that it violates the school district's "zero tolerance" policy for weapons. In the photo, Patrick is dressed in a medieval chain mail coat with a prop sword over his shoulder, representing his long-standing interest in medieval history.

ACLU of New Jersey Applauds Ruling in Favor of Student's Right to Sing "Awesome God" (12/12/2006)
NEWARK, NJ - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today praised a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson protecting the religious expression rights of students. The court held that a Frenchtown Elementary School student had the right to sing the song "Awesome God" at a school talent show. The ACLU of New Jersey submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the student.

Student Rights : Freedom of Expression : Publications

Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Free Expression (12/31/1997)
ACLU's resident expert, Sybil Liberty, answers common questions about students' rights from a student point of view.

Hate Speech on Campus (12/31/1994)
ACLU Q&A on hate speech on university campuses

Student Rights : Freedom of Expression : Legal Documents

Latour v. Riverside Beaver School District: two rap songs (08/04/2005)

Latour Complaint (08/03/2005)

Opinion in Dwyer v. Oceanport (04/04/2005)

ACLU Brief in Frederick v. Morse (04/25/2002)

Student Rights : Freedom of Expression : Resources

Your Right to Free Expression (07/17/2003)

Student Rights : Freedom of Expression : Supreme Court Cases

Board of Regents of Univ. of Wisconsin System v. Southworth (10/01/1999)
DECIDED

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