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ACLU Wins Artistic Expression Lawsuit On Behalf of Waikiki Street Performers (12/28/2001)
HONOLULU -- In a victory for free speech advocates and champions of artistic expression, a district court judge today threw out a local ordinance that unconstitutionally limited the rights of street performers in the city of Waikiki on Oahu. 

ACLU Sues Ohio Over Vanity Plates Policy, Saying "Vague Standards" for Approval Violate the First Amendment (12/20/2001)
COLUMBUS, OH--The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in Columbus alleging that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle's policy for approving drivers' applications for vanity plates violates the First Amendment. 

ACLU of MA Sues Education Officials for Silencing Critic of "High-Stakes" Standardized Testing (12/13/2001)
BOSTON--The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today filed a lawsuit against state Department of Education officials for causing the cancellation of a keynote speech by a noted critic of so-called high stakes testing at an education conference in Northampton last May. 

ACLU Defends California Artist After Los Angeles Orders Removal of "God Bless America" Mural (10/23/2001)
LOS ANGELES--Citing fundamental free speech rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today filed a lawsuit on behalf of an artist demanding that the City of Los Angeles allow his patriotic murals to remain on display. The City of Los Angeles says that zoning rules allow them to order the removal of Mike McNeilly's patriotic mural.

Muslim Journal Distributor Sues PA Town Officials Over Arrest Threat (10/17/2001)
PITTSBURGH--Citing religious liberty principles, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against city officials in McKeesport over their May 2001 threat to arrest A.B. Abdul-Rabb, a long-time distributor of the Muslim Journal, unless he purchased a prohibitively expensive distribution permit. 

ACLU of Nebraska Sues Hospital for Firing Nurse Who Raised Patient Care Concerns (10/15/2001)
""The First Amendment protects public employees who speak out on matters of public concern,"" said Tim Butz, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nebraska. ""Nurse Lisa Lech took her duty to her patients seriously and tried to fix a dangerous problem, and rather than fix the problem the hospital sought to silence her."" 

Alaska Superior Court Hears Challenge to State's Restrictive English-Only Law (10/12/2001)
ANCHORAGE--Alaska Superior Court Judge Fred Torrisi will hear oral arguments today in a challenge to Alaska's English-Only law brought by the Alaska Civil Liberties Union and other rights groups. 

Free Speech Groups, Artists Protest Removal of "War" Exhibit By City of Los Angeles and Watts Towers Arts Center (10/11/2001)
LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the First Amendment Project of Oakland, CA and a large number of local and national artists announced today that they are protesting the removal of Alex Donis' exhibit, "WAR," from the Watts Towers Art Center. The exhibit was removed because it was deemed offensive by community members. 

Bowing to ACLU Lawsuit, Honolulu Ends Unconstitutional Restrictions on Public Marches and Gatherings (10/10/2001)
HONOLULU-- Bowing to a free speech lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai`i, the City and County of Honolulu today agreed to change its permitting schemes for marches and gatherings on public streets and in parks. 

Court Rules Providence Police "Gag Rule" Unconstitutional (10/01/2001)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- In a clear victory for free speech, a U.S. District Judge struck down the Providence police department's "gag rule" which prevented police officers from talking to the media without prior approval of the police chief, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island announced today.

ACLU of Michigan Criticizes Battle Creek Mayor for Cutting Public Opinion from Meeting Broadcasts (09/04/2001)
DETROIT--In a letter sent today to Battle Creek Mayor Mark A. Behnke, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan criticized his unilateral decision to terminate the public comment portion of the City Commission meetings which are broadcast on public access television.. 

ACLU of Ohio Sues Over Gag Rule Prohibiting Judges from Naming Names in Written Opinions (08/21/2001)
CLEVELAND--The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today filed a lawsuit contesting on free speech and public right-to-know grounds a regulation prohibiting appeals court judges from naming in written opinions the trial lawyers and trial judges involved in the cases they decide. 

St. Louis Community Coalition Demands Fair and Open Redistricting Process Statement of Matt LeMieux, Executive Director, ACLU of Eastern Missouri (08/20/2001)
ST. LOUIS--For the past three weeks, a group of concerned citizens and community organizations has been meeting to discuss the redistricting process for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen wards. 

Mayor's Office Violates First Amendment Rights of Artist (08/14/2001)
HONOLULU - The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai`i today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City and County of Honolulu for improperly banning artist Daria Fand's art work from an "Art of Women" exhibit at Honolulu Hale in March of this year. The piece was banned because officials from the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts found Fand's piece, ""Last of the Believers"", which depicts a nude woman on a cross, to be "controversial" and ""offensive."" 

Mattel Repudiated: Decisive Victory for Free Speech in Case Involving Artist's Use of Barbie Doll First Amendment Protects Criticism of Doll and Values It Represents, Says Court (08/13/2001)
LOS ANGELES - In a decisive victory for the free speech rights of artists, a federal court today dismissed Mattel's lawsuit which sought to stop artist Tom Forsythe from using the Barbie doll in an award-winning series of photographs that comments on the doll and the values it embodies. 

ACLU Restores Free Speech to San Diego Welfare Offices (08/02/2001)
SAN DIEGO - Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, San Diego County Health and Human Services has agreed to stop violating the free speech rights of a parents' advocacy organization that had been restricted from distributing literature and talking with welfare applicants at two county welfare offices. 

Connecticut's Highest Court Rules in Favor of Public Beach Access for Non-Residents (07/26/2001)
HARTFORD, CT - - Relying in part on free speech arguments raised by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Connecticut Supreme Court today unanimously issued a strong ruling affirming the right of non-residents to use town parks and beaches throughout the state. 

ACLU Says Hate Crimes Legislation Must Be Amended To Protect Free Speech (07/26/2001)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union said today that the Senate must amend a new hate crimes bill to limit its potential chilling effect on constitutionally protected speech. 

ACLU Defends PETA's Next-to-Nude "Tiger Lady" Against Indecency Charges for Exposing Cruelty to Animals (07/24/2001)
SHREVEPORT, LA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana entered court today to defend the free speech rights of "Tiger Lady" Cynthia Lieberman and other protesters with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who were arrested here on May 29 on charges of "indecent acts and obstruction of public passage." 

Individual Donor Sets Record with $7 Million Donation, Largest-Ever Endowment Gift to ACLU (07/18/2001)
NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that Peter B. Lewis, chairman of The Progressive Corporation and a long-time ACLU member and donor, has made a gift of $7 million to the Trust for the Bill of Rights, ACLU's endowment fund.