Student Speech and Privacy
Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida v. Raymond Rodrigues
The University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine filed a lawsuit on November 16, 2023, challenging the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida’s order to state universities to deactivate the student group. This order threatens the students’ constitutionally-protected right to free speech and association in violation of the First Amendment. The ACLU and its partners are seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar the Chancellor and the University of Florida from deactivating the UF SJP.
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jan 2021
![Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.](https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/themes/aclu-wp/img/fallback-case-gavel.png)
Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.
On September 25, 2017, the ACLU-PA filed suit on behalf of B.L., a high school sophomore who has been cheerleading since she was in fifth grade and was expelled from the team as punishment for out-of-school speech.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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7 Student Speech and Privacy Cases
Texas
Nov 2023
![Black girl runner crossing the red victory ribbon](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2024/03/shutterstock_2229889683-600x459.jpg)
Spring Branch ISD Advocacy – Dress Code Discrimination
On March 1, 2023, WRP and the ACLU of Texas sent an advocacy letter to Spring Branch Independent School District (“District”) on behalf of G.H., a Spring Woods High School student athlete. The ACLU’s investigation had revealed that the District maintained a discriminatory, sex-specific dress code and gender-based inequities in the school’s athletics program, and that the student was mistreated after objecting to these policies and practices. The advocacy letter raised concerns that the District’s actions reinforced invidious sex stereotypes, treated girl athletes as lesser than boy athletes, and potentially violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The District’s policies and actions harm all students, regardless of gender, but have particularly egregious consequences for Black girls and other girls of color.
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![Black girl runner crossing the red victory ribbon](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2024/03/shutterstock_2229889683-600x459.jpg)
Texas
Student Speech and Privacy
Free Speech
Spring Branch ISD Advocacy – Dress Code Discrimination
On March 1, 2023, WRP and the ACLU of Texas sent an advocacy letter to Spring Branch Independent School District (“District”) on behalf of G.H., a Spring Woods High School student athlete. The ACLU’s investigation had revealed that the District maintained a discriminatory, sex-specific dress code and gender-based inequities in the school’s athletics program, and that the student was mistreated after objecting to these policies and practices. The advocacy letter raised concerns that the District’s actions reinforced invidious sex stereotypes, treated girl athletes as lesser than boy athletes, and potentially violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The District’s policies and actions harm all students, regardless of gender, but have particularly egregious consequences for Black girls and other girls of color.
Nov 2023
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Jul 2023
![school classroom](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Web21-critical-race-theory_Blog-Wordpress-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
Pernell v. Lamb
On Thursday, August 18, 2022 the ACLU, ACLU of Florida, Legal Defense Fund and Ballard Spahr filed a lawsuit challenging Florida's HB7 (aka the Stop W.O.K.E. Act) on behalf of a group of Florida educators and students in higher education.
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![school classroom](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Web21-critical-race-theory_Blog-Wordpress-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
Student Speech and Privacy
Racial Justice
Pernell v. Lamb
On Thursday, August 18, 2022 the ACLU, ACLU of Florida, Legal Defense Fund and Ballard Spahr filed a lawsuit challenging Florida's HB7 (aka the Stop W.O.K.E. Act) on behalf of a group of Florida educators and students in higher education.
Jul 2023
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Feb 2023
![This image shows the plaintiffs' original complaint, partially covered by large red text that reads "FILED."](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Wentzville Compl. + stamp-600x600.png)
C.K.–W. v. Wentzville R-IV School District
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, joined by the National ACLU, filed a lawsuit challenging a school district's removal of eight critically-acclaimed library books that are by and about people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups, as well as its policy requiring automatic removal of every book that any student, parent, or guardian formally objects to, regardless of the basis for or merits of that objection.
Status: Closed (Voluntarily Dismissed)
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![This image shows the plaintiffs' original complaint, partially covered by large red text that reads "FILED."](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Wentzville Compl. + stamp-600x600.png)
Student Speech and Privacy
C.K.–W. v. Wentzville R-IV School District
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, joined by the National ACLU, filed a lawsuit challenging a school district's removal of eight critically-acclaimed library books that are by and about people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups, as well as its policy requiring automatic removal of every book that any student, parent, or guardian formally objects to, regardless of the basis for or merits of that objection.
Feb 2023
Status: Closed (Voluntarily Dismissed)
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Oct 2021
![school classroom](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Web21-critical-race-theory_Blog-Wordpress-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
Black Emergency Response Team v. O'Connor
This lawsuit challenges an Oklahoma classroom censorship law, HB 1775, that severely restricts public school teachers and students from teaching and learning about race and gender.
Status: Ongoing
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![school classroom](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Web21-critical-race-theory_Blog-Wordpress-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
Student Speech and Privacy
Racial Justice
Black Emergency Response Team v. O'Connor
This lawsuit challenges an Oklahoma classroom censorship law, HB 1775, that severely restricts public school teachers and students from teaching and learning about race and gender.
Oct 2021
Status: Ongoing
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Feb 2013
![Governor Mifflin School District and Filtering of LGBT Online Content](https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/themes/aclu-wp/img/fallback-case-gavel.png)
Governor Mifflin School District and Filtering of LGBT Online Content
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania have sent a letter requesting that school officials at Governor Mifflin School District in Berks County stop using Internet filters that violate students' First Amendment free speech rights. The district uses a "sexuality" filter that blocks sites that express support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and an "intolerance" filter that blocks political advocacy sites that are labeled as intolerant.
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![Governor Mifflin School District and Filtering of LGBT Online Content](https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/themes/aclu-wp/img/fallback-case-gavel.png)
Student Speech and Privacy
LGBTQ Rights
Governor Mifflin School District and Filtering of LGBT Online Content
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania have sent a letter requesting that school officials at Governor Mifflin School District in Berks County stop using Internet filters that violate students' First Amendment free speech rights. The district uses a "sexuality" filter that blocks sites that express support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and an "intolerance" filter that blocks political advocacy sites that are labeled as intolerant.
Feb 2013
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