Home : Free Speech

test

ACLU of Arizona Urges Senator Kyl to End Hold on FOIA Bill (08/02/2007)
PHOENIX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today urged Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to end his hold on bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the public's right to know. The OPEN Government Act (S. 849) would eliminate the backlog in FOIA requests and provide reasonable consequences on federal agencies that miss deadlines for complying with FOIA.

ACLU Applauds House Action on Reporters’ Shield (08/01/2007)
Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union was optimistic today after a mark-up in the House Judiciary Committee on legislation that would protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans. The Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, H.R. 2102, which contains specific speech protections for journalists, passed the committee by voice vote. The legislation would establish a qualified privilege protecting journalists from being compelled to reveal their anonymous sources, balanced with other interests. The privilege includes a narrow exception that would only allow a reporter to be compelled to reveal a source if there is an actual and imminent danger to national security or public safety.

ACLU and ACLU of Colorado Urge University of Colorado Not to Fire Professor (07/19/2007)
In an open letter to the University of Colorado Board of Regents released today, the ACLU and the ACLU of Colorado urged the Board to reject the recommendation of CU President Hank Brown to terminate Professor Ward Churchill. President Brown’s decision ran counter to the majority of the Appeals Panel of the Privilege and Tenure Committee, which concluded that dismissal was not warranted.

ACLU Objects to Rockefeller's Indecency Legislation, Bill Treads on the First Amendment (07/18/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union said today that indecency legislation, slated for markup in the Senate Commerce Committee tomorrow, violates the First Amendment. Recently introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), S.1780 would attempt to regulate "indecent" television programming by instituting a Federal Communications Commission policy that a single word or image could be considered "indecent."

ACLU of Arkansas Supports Judge Facing Discipline for Criticizing Bush Administration (07/10/2007)
LITTLE ROCK, AR - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed a letter today with the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission in support of State Appeals Court Judge Wendell Griffen, who is facing disciplinary action by the commission for making public statements that are critical of the Bush administration. The ACLU said that any discipline by the commission would violate the judge's right to freedom of speech.

ACLU of New Jersey Challenges Arbitrary Police Fees for March (07/09/2007)
NEWARK - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the Farmworkers' Support Committee today filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the city of Bridgeton for charging a fee of more than $1,500 for an immigrant rights March held on May 1.

California Judge Strikes School Dress Code That Banned Winnie-the-Pooh Socks (07/05/2007)
NAPA, CA - A federal judge has blocked a middle school from enforcing an overly strict dress code that got a student punished for wearing Winnie-the-Pooh socks. The court ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California against the Napa Valley Unified School District and Redwood Middle School.

ACLU, Teachers Union Settle Free Speech Lawsuit Against City of Boston (07/02/2007)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union today announced that they have settled a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of long-time substitute teacher Jeffrey Herman against Jose Duarte, the headmaster of Boston's English High School. Duarte put Herman on a "Do Not Call" substitute teacher list for English High School after Herman testified at a Boston City Council hearing against the city spending over one million dollars for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs in Boston public schools.

White House Policy Illegally Silences Americans Critical of Bush, ACLU Charges (06/28/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal lawsuit against a former high-level White House staffer for enacting a policy that unlawfully excluded individuals perceived to be critical of the administration from public events where President Bush was present. The policy is laid out in an October 2002 "Presidential Advance Manual" obtained by the ACLU.

Supreme Court Upholds Vermont Student’s Free Speech Rights (06/27/2007)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the political free speech rights of a Williamstown Middle School student, putting to rest a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont three years ago.

ACLU Urges Government to Stay Out of America’s Living Rooms: (06/26/2007)
WASHINGTON, DC - In light of today’s scheduled Senate Commerce Committee hearing on television violence, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to reject any proposals that would allow the Federal Communications Commission to regulate violence on television. The American Civil Liberties Union is committed to preserving and protecting free speech and believes government should not replace parents as decision makers in America’s living rooms.