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Following Criticism from the ACLU of Rhode Island, U.S. District Court Will Amend Proposed Rule to Limit Speech (08/25/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- At the urging of the American Civil Liberties Union, local media outlets and open records advocates, the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island announced that it will amend a proposed court rule that would have severely curtailed the First Amendment rights of lawyers, litigants and court employees.

ACLU of Florida Negotiating To Protect Free Speech Rights of Anti-War Protesters (08/25/2005)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter today to the Mayor and Chief of Police here expressing its intent to defend the First Amendment rights of protesters and their supporters.

Federal Court Orders Pennsylvania School District to Reinstate Student Rapper (08/24/2005)
PITTSBURGH - In a victory for free speech rights, a federal judge today ruled that ninth-grader Anthony Latour can return to school after he was expelled because of rap lyrics he wrote at home and posted on the Internet. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania on behalf of Latour and his parents charging that school officials violated the student's First Amendment rights.

NYCLU Calls on New York Officials to Reinstate Permit for Graffiti Art Exhibit (08/18/2005)
NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on New York City to reinstate the permit for Mark Ecko Enterprises to conduct an outdoor art exhibition featuring graffiti artists and images of subway cars.

ACLU Urges City of Lansing to Reconsider Censorship of Shakespeare in the Park (08/09/2005)
LANSING, MI - In a letter sent today to the City of Lansing, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and the Lansing branch of the ACLU advised city officials to reconsider their decision to censor a Shakespeare in the Park production of "Titus Andronicus."

Science Under Siege By Bush Administration, ACLU Charges (06/21/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union released a report today examining government policies and practices that have hampered academic freedom and scientific inquiry since September 11, 2001. The report sheds new light on how these policies curtail basic rights and put all Americans at risk.

Utah Businesses, Free Speech Groups and Individuals Challenge Restrictions on Internet Speech (06/09/2005)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Citing free speech and interstate commerce violations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah today joined a broad based group of bookstores, artistic and informative Web sites, Internet Service Providers and national trade associations in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a Utah law meant to restrict children's access to material on the Internet.

Tennessee's Use of Lethal Injection Chemical Blocks Public's First Amendment Right to Know, Says ACLU (06/08/2005)
NASHVILLE -- The public and the media have the First Amendment right to witness and gather accurate information about Tennessee's execution procedure, said the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the Middle Tennessee State University newspaper, Sidelines, in a supporting brief to a case challenging the state's method of lethal injection argued before the state supreme court today.

West Virginia School Officials Violated Student's Rights By Punishing Him Over a T-Shirt, Court Rules (06/01/2005)
CHARLESTON, WV -- A federal court today found that school officials violated a high school student's rights when they disciplined him for wearing a t-shirt bearing an image of the Confederate flag. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia.

ACLU Endorses Federal Hate Crimes Legislation for First Time, Says Conyers Proposal Properly Addresses Free Speech Concerns (05/26/2005)
WASHINGTON - After more than seven years of expressing concerns that federal hate crimes legislation would chill constitutionally protected speech, the American Civil Liberties Union today endorsed a new hate crimes bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI).

ACLU Defends Peace Activists Facing Fines Over Iraq Travel Ban (05/26/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed lawsuits this week on behalf of two peace activists accused of going to Iraq as ""human shields"" prior to the beginning of the war in 2003. Both are fighting an effort by the federal Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) to impose large fines on them without allowing them to contest the charges.

Following ACLU Lawsuit, Leafleting Guaranteed At All Public Doors into Chicago Convention Center (05/19/2005)
CHICAGO -- All people and organizations will have the opportunity to hand out leaflets at public entry and exit points at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, under the terms of a negotiated settlement agreement presented in federal court today. The settlement successfully concludes First Amendment litigation brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois on behalf of two activists who sought to broaden their opportunity to effectively communicate with people attending conventions at McCormick Place.

ACLU of Michigan Wants "Gag Order" on College Trustees Ended (04/19/2005)
DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit in federal court today on behalf of Thomas A. Hamilton, a St. Clair County Community College Trustee, after the college's board adopted a ""gag order"" prohibiting board members from talking to students, faculty and employees without first obtaining clearance from the College President.

ACLU of Washington, Public Citizen File Lawsuit Backing Free Speech Rights of Candidate for Union Office (04/14/2005)
SEATTLE -- Seeking to uphold union democracy, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and Public Citizen today filed a lawsuit backing the free speech rights of a union member running for office. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Joseph Hughes to secure his right to speak with fellow members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Michigan Judge Allows Local Artist To Stay Out of Jail During Appeal (04/04/2005)
DETROIT - A local artist who was sentenced to 30 days in jail for painting a mural on the exterior wall of his studio will be staying at home as the case moves forward in the appeal process, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said today.

ACLU and Teachers Seek Answers About Military Recruiters at Los Angeles Public Schools (03/29/2005)
LOS ANGELES - Citing concerns that military recruiters are targeting low-income students and students of color on the campuses of public schools in Los Angeles County, a group of teachers, parents, students and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California joined together to demand more information about how the military recruits public school students.

House Includes Asylum and Privacy Assault in 'Must Pass' Funding Bill; ACLU Urges Senate to Reject Sensenbrenner Measure (03/16/2005)
WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives today attached controversial anti-immigration legislation to an emergency military funding bill. The American Civil Liberties Union urged the Senate to reject the House's efforts to evade regular legislative order, saying that the REAL ID Act would make it more difficult to seek asylum, lay the foundation for a national ID card and chill free speech.

Trademarks Laws Must Not Be Used to Curtail First Amendment, ACLU Calls on House to Preserve Freedom of Speech (02/17/2005)
WASHINGTON -Trademark laws should not be used as a pretense for the curtailment of the freedom of speech, and steps must be taken to better protect First Amendment expression like political parodies of trademarks and corporate logos, an American Civil Liberties Union lobbyist warned a key House subcommittee today.

House Increase of Indecency Fines Will Have a Chilling Effect on Speech: ACLU Calls on Senate to Protect First Amendment (02/16/2005)
WASHINGTON - The House today passed legislation to increase Federal Communications Commission fines for broadcast indecency, prompting the American Civil Liberties Union to call on the Senate to preserve First Amendment protections. Current ambiguities in the definition of indecency, coupled with the increased penalties, would chill free speech over the nation's airwaves, the ACLU said.

Virginia Senate Panel Kills Controversial Pants Bill That Elicited Worldwide Ridicule (02/10/2005)
RICHMOND, VA--The Virginia Senate has quietly and sheepishly killed a bill that in recent days had become an international joke, the American Civil Liberties of Virginia said today. The bill, which passed the House of Delegates earlier this week on a 60-34 vote, imposed a $50 fine on anyone who ""intentionally wears and displays his below-waist undergarments, intended to cover a person's intimate parts, in a lewd or indecent manner.""