Home : Student Rights

Check out StandUp for the latest civil liberties info for youth and students. Constitutional violations are far too common in public schools across the country. Articles about controversial subjects written for student newspapers are censored. Lockers and backpacks are searched without reasonable suspicion. Minority students are disproportionately shunted in lower track programs. Majoritarian religious practices are officially sanctioned by teachers and school administrators. Female students are excluded from certain extracurricular activities, and gay students are intimidated into silence. 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. These two missions are not incompatible. Simply put, students have rights too. Use the resources on this page to learn more and take action to protect the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights.

Federal Judge Rules that the state of Hawaii Department of Education Must Fulfill Its Obligation to Homeless Children (2/14/2008)
HONOLULU – U.S. District Court Chief Judge Helen Gillmor has ordered the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) to change its enrollment procedures to ensure equal access for homeless children. After hearing from civil rights groups and attorneys representing three homeless parents and their five children on 2/11/08, Judge Gillmor granted their motion for preliminary injunction in part and their motion to proceed as a class action.

Advocates Testify On Impact Of School Suspensions And Demand Passage Of The Student Safety Act (1/23/2008)
NEW YORK – The New York Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of advocates today called on the New York City Council to pass the Student Safety Act, legislation that would provide much-needed transparency and scrutiny to the disciplinary and security policies in New York City public schools.

ACLU of Ohio Tells School Officials to Stop Forcing Students to Turn Over Cell Phones (11/27/2007)
MASON, OH – In a letter today to Dr. David Allen, principal at William Mason High School, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio warned school officials that their current practice of seizing student cell phones and reading personal text messages was poor policy and unconstitutional. Recently, the ACLU of Ohio received complaints from students and parents at the school because several administrators began confiscating phones and reading private text messages to determine if the students attended private parties off school grounds during the weekend.

ACLU of Ohio Launches Teen Health Publication in Spanish (11/26/2007)
CLEVELAND- Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio unveiled its new Spanish guide on teen health, “Tu Salud y La Ley: Una Guía para Adolescentes.” A translated and updated version of, “Your Health and the Law: A Guide for Teens,” this booklet provides insight into both Ohio and federal laws regarding teen health care with the adolescent reader in mind.

Civil Rights Lawyers Ask Court to Block Laws Illegally Denying Homeless Children Equal Access to Education (11/6/2007)
HONOLULU – Advancing their class action lawsuit, Lawyers for Equal Justice (LEJ) and the ACLU of Hawaii today filed a motion in federal court seeking an order to immediately halt state officials from enforcing laws and policies that block access by homeless children to public education. These measures are in violation of federal law.