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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Student Rights : Press Releases

In Letter to UC Berkeley Chancellor, ACLU Opposes Suppression of Pro-Palestinian Student Protest (05/07/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the University of California at Berkeley's ACLU chapter today sent a letter to the University's Chancellor expressing serious concerns about the school's threat to suspend for an entire year 41 pro-Palestinian student protestors who were arrested for trespass during a sit-in. 

ACLU of Maryland Applauds Education Funding Increase; Calls It Important Step Toward Educational Adequacy for Schoolchildren (05/06/2002)
BALTIMORE--In what is being hailed as a visionary school plan, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening will today sign the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act into law-- a move that will increase statewide education funding by $1.1 billion over five years. An American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland lawsuit brought on behalf of underserved urban schoolchildren has served as the catalyst for this unprecedented appropriation that will ultimately benefit all of Maryland's schoolchildren. 

ACLU of MA Sues Holliston School Officials for Punishing Students Over Protest Signs (05/02/2002)
BOSTON--The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court on behalf of Amanda Melanson and Elizabeth Cooper, two seniors at Holliston High School who were suspended them from school for two days and banned -- for the rest of the school year --- from all extracurricular activities, including the senior prom and graduation, because they held signs protesting the expulsion of two classmates. 

VA Middle School Student with Blue Hair Allowed to Return to Class After ACLU Intervention (04/29/2002)
NORFOLK, VA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said today that Norview Middle School officials have allowed sixth-grader Jesse Doyle to return to class after he was told he could not come back until his hair had returned to its original color.

After ACLU Intervenes, Principal Apologizes to San Diego High School Student for Free Speech Violation (04/29/2002)
SAN DIEGO--In accordance with a settlement agreement negotiated by the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego, a local high school principal has issued a formal written apology to a student he threatened to punish for distributing pamphlets which advised students of their right not to take a standardized test, the ACLU announced today. 

ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Alaska School District's Censorship of Student's Off-Campus Speech (04/25/2002)
JUNEAU, AK--The Alaska Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal district court against a high school principal and the Juneau School Board for violating the free speech rights of a student after he displayed a banner off school property saying, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." The student was suspended for 10 days. 

ACLU of Ohio Says It Will Investigate Middle School Where Pepper Spray Was Used on Children (04/24/2002)
CLEVELAND--Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said today that they are investigating an incident at Euclid Middle School in which security guards reportedly sprayed three tables of students with a chemical pepper foam in an effort to break up a fight between two 12-year-old boys. 

Kitsap Student Receives Scholarship for Work against Censorship (04/18/2002)
SEATTLE--Jessica Beckett, a senior at North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, has been selected to receive a Youth Activist Scholarship Award in recognition of her work for civil liberties. The $4,000 college scholarship is one of nine awarded by the American Civil Liberties Union to high school students around the nation. 

ACLU Announces 2002 Youth Activism College Scholarship Recipients (04/15/2002)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the names of nine high school seniors selected to receive $4,000 college scholarships in recognition of their activist work in civil liberties. 

In the Wake of New Anti-Terror Law, NYCLU Launches Statewide Campaign to Inform College Students of Their Rights to Privacy of Records (04/10/2002)
NEW YORK--In the wake of the new anti-terrorism law giving greater surveillance powers to federal law enforcement, the New York Civil Liberties Union today announced a statewide campaign to help college students and their schools understand their rights to privacy of records. 

Justices to Hear Arguments Tomorrow in Landmark ACLU Challenge to Mandatory School Drug Testing (03/18/2002)
WASHINGTON--In oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow, the American Civil Liberties Union will urge the Justices to reject random urine testing of students involved in extracurricular activities. 

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