Home : Women's Rights

ACLU Hails Ruling That Fair Housing Act Prohibits Discrimination Against Victims of Domestic Violence (04/18/2005)
BRATTLEBORO, VT -- In an important victory for battered women, the first case ever to hold that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against domestic violence victims settled this week. The American Civil Liberties Union was co-counsel with Vermont Legal Aid in the domestic violence and housing discrimination case Bouley v. Young-Sabourin.

NYCLU and ACLU Urge NY City Council to Adopt Innovative Law to Eliminate Discriminatory City Policies (04/08/2005)
NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union testified today at the New York City Council's first hearing on ground-breaking local human rights legislation: the Human Rights Government Audit Law (HUMAN RIGHTS-GOAL).

ACLU Applauds Supreme Court Decision Protecting Whistleblowers Who Report Sex Discrimination (03/29/2005)
WASHINGTON--The American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a Supreme Court ruling that people who report sex discrimination in public schools or other federally funded programs are protected against retaliation under the federal Title IX anti-discrimination law.

ACLU and Former 911 Dispatcher File Lawsuit Challenging North Carolina Anti-Cohabitation Law (03/28/2005)
BURGAW, NC - The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Debora Hobbs, an unmarried woman who lost her job as a 911 dispatcher simply because she chose to live with her boyfriend in violation of a 200-year-old state law that makes it a criminal offense for partners of the opposite sex to live together out of wedlock.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Hold Police Accountable for Enforcing Restraining Orders (03/21/2005)
WASHINGTON, DC-The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case that will determine whether local governments and police departments can be held accountable for failing to enforce court orders to protect victims from a violent spouse or acquaintance. The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Jessica Gonzales in 2000, which charged that the Castle Rock, Colorado police refused to enforce a restraining order against her estranged husband, who kidnapped and murdered their three young daughters.

Drug Policies are Destroying Families, Groups Charge (03/17/2005)
NEW YORK -- The ACLU, Break the Chains: Communities of Color and the War on Drugs, and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law today released a report that compiles for the first time existing research on the effects of current drug laws and sentencing policies on women and their families. The report, Caught in the Net: the Impact of Drug Policies on Women & Families, is co-authored by the three organizations and is being launched at a national conference of experts on issues relating to women, families and drugs at NYU School of Law on March 17th and 18th.

ACLU and Northwest Women's Law Center Back Washington Woman's Right To Divorce (03/10/2005)
SPOKANE, WA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the ACLU Women's Rights Project, and the Northwest Women's Law Center today filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the right of a Spokane woman to obtain a divorce from her abusive husband who was convicted of assaulting her. The woman was denied a petition for divorce by Spokane County because she is pregnant.

ACLU of Rhode Island Announces Settlement in Case of School Softball Coach Who Was Denied Job Because of His Gender (02/16/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island announced today that it has settled a discrimination complaint against the Town of North Smithfield on behalf of Thomas Bourgeois, who was denied appointment as a school coach last year solely because of his gender.

ACLU Announces Online Complaint Form For Airline Security Groping, Warns That Women Are Still Vulnerable (12/22/2004)
NEW YORK-As Americans head into the holiday travel rush, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned that women still remain susceptible to sexual harassment at airline security gates, and announced that it has posted an online complaint form that travelers can use to describe any abuses that take place.

ACLU Defends Ethiopian Woman Kept in Forced Labor in New Jersey (12/21/2004)
NEWARK, NJ-The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Ethiopian woman who was brought to the United States and forced to work without pay as a live-in domestic and childcare worker for a New Jersey couple, in violation of state, federal and international laws.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Protect Whistle-Blowers Who Report Sex Discrimination in Schools (11/30/2004)
WASHINGTON--The Supreme Court today heard opening arguments in a case that will determine whether people who report sex discrimination in public schools or other federally-funded programs are protected against retaliation under a federal anti-discrimination law.

New ACLU Report Documents Harsh Conditions Faced by Women Living on Death Row (11/29/2004)
WASHINGTON - A new report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union -- the first-ever national survey of women currently on Death Row -- found that women who have been sentenced to death are often subjected to harsh living conditions, including being forced to live in virtual isolation, and many are sentenced for crimes that don't result in a death sentence for men.

NYCLU Criticizes NYPD for Failing to Investigate Officer Wearing Helmet Promoting Violence Against Women (10/01/2004)
NEW YORK--The New York Civil Liberties Union today harshly criticized the New York Police Department for refusing to investigate a police officer who was photographed wearing a motorcycle helmet bearing an apparent endorsement of violence against women.