Home : Women's Rights

In First Settlement of its Kind, Michigan Domestic Violence Victims Will No Longer Face Eviction (12/10/2003)
DETROIT - In a precedent-setting settlement of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the Ypsilanti Housing Commission has agreed to end a policy that led to the eviction of domestic violence victims, the ACLU announced today.

A League - and a Field - of their Own: ACLU Wins Equality for Girls' Softball League in Oregon (11/20/2003)
GRANTS PASS, OR- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the settlement of a groundbreaking lawsuit that allows a girls' community softball team to have equal access to city playing fields. The agreement will provide a dedicated playing field for senior girls' softball in the city's main outdoor sports complex and enable the girls' league to host at least two tournaments annually.

ACLU of PA Sues Beaver County Child Welfare Agency Over Wrongful Seizure of Newborns (10/02/2003)
PITTSBURGH -- The American Civil Liberties Union's Greater Pittsburgh Chapter today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of a young mother, Selina Underwood, saying that Beaver County officials violated her rights when they seized her children - including a day-old newborn -- without evidence that they were in any danger.

ACLU Wins $3.5 Million on Behalf of Waitresses Exploited at a Chinese Restaurant in New Jersey (09/25/2003)
NEWARK- A federal judge has ordered a Chinese restaurant to pay $3.5 million to two immigrant waitresses who were exploited by their bosses based on their gender and ethnicity, deprived of wages and tips, and housed in a crowded, substandard apartment, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

ACLU of Rhode Island Files Discrimination Lawsuit On Behalf of Female Firefighter Applicant (08/27/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an unprecedented state law passed that allowed a town to bar a Latino woman from obtaining any position with the newly created North Smithfield Fire Department.

New Jersey High Court Upholds State's "Family Cap" Welfare Law; ACLU and Family Advocates Vow to Hold State to Promise of Aid for Needy (08/04/2003)
TRENTON-Attorneys and advocates for women and children expressed disappointment with a ruling today by the New Jersey Supreme Court that the state can deny benefits to children born into families already receiving welfare. The groups vowed to hold the state to its promise to insure the "health and safety of families in need."

ACLU Hails Reaffirmation of Landmark Civil Rights Law; Department of Education Leaves Title IX Unchanged (07/11/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a Department of Education letter that effectively reaffirms the 31-year-old ""Title IX"" civil rights law, the fate of which had been uncertain after the Bush Administration signaled it might seek to alter the measure.

Judge Imposes Birth Control To Prevent Michigan Woman From Having More Children (07/08/2003)
DETROIT - In a blatant attack on personal privacy rights, a Lapeer County judge has ordered a woman to submit to a medically ""verifiable"" method of birth control in an abuse and neglect proceeding regarding her two children, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the woman.

ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Waitresses Exploited at Chinese Restaurant in New Jersey (06/11/2003)
NEWARK, NJ- Two immigrant waitresses at a Chinese restaurant in Wayne were exploited by their bosses because of their gender and ethnicity, deprived of wages and tips and housed in a crowded, substandard apartment, according a complaint filed today against the restaurant's owners and management by the American Civil Liberties Union.

In Victory for Working Families, High Court Says States Must Comply With Family & Medical Leave Act (05/27/2003)
NEW YORK -- In what the American Civil Liberties Union called the most important sex discrimination case since the Virginia Military Institute's male-only admissions policy was struck down, the Supreme Court today held that state government employers are not immune from lawsuits under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).