North Carolina
learn about our work in North Carolina
learn about our work in North Carolina
All Cases
19 North Carolina Cases
North Carolina
Apr 2024
Zayre-Brown v. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has continually denied Kanautica Zayre-Brown, an incarcerated transgender woman in their custody, access to gender-affirming surgery.
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
LGBTQ Rights
Zayre-Brown v. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has continually denied Kanautica Zayre-Brown, an incarcerated transgender woman in their custody, access to gender-affirming surgery.
Apr 2024
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Apr 2024
Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School
Lonnie Billard worked at Charlotte Catholic High School for more than a decade – both as full-time drama and as a long-term substitute teacher – and has won numerous teaching awards, including teacher of the year. In October 2014, Lonnie wrote a Facebook post announcing that he and his long-time partner were getting married. Later that year, the school told Lonnie he could no longer work as a substitute teacher because his engagement and marriage to another man was contrary to the religious principles of the Catholic Church.
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
LGBTQ Rights
Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School
Lonnie Billard worked at Charlotte Catholic High School for more than a decade – both as full-time drama and as a long-term substitute teacher – and has won numerous teaching awards, including teacher of the year. In October 2014, Lonnie wrote a Facebook post announcing that he and his long-time partner were getting married. Later that year, the school told Lonnie he could no longer work as a substitute teacher because his engagement and marriage to another man was contrary to the religious principles of the Catholic Church.
Apr 2024
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Jan 2024
Short v. Hartman
Pretrial detainees cannot be punished because they have not been convicted of any crime. Yet until recently, courts have applied the Eighth Amendment’s heightened, subjective legal standard applicable to convicted prisoners to claims brought by pretrial detainees. The ACLU is working to ensure that courts apply a lower, objective standard to Fourteenth Amendment claims brought by pretrial detainees.
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Prisoners' Rights
Short v. Hartman
Pretrial detainees cannot be punished because they have not been convicted of any crime. Yet until recently, courts have applied the Eighth Amendment’s heightened, subjective legal standard applicable to convicted prisoners to claims brought by pretrial detainees. The ACLU is working to ensure that courts apply a lower, objective standard to Fourteenth Amendment claims brought by pretrial detainees.
Jan 2024
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Jun 2023
North Carolina v. Hasson Bacote
Hasson Bacote, a Black man from Johnston County, North Carolina, is challenging his death sentence under the first-of-its kind law, the North Carolina Racial Justice Act (RJA). He argues that race played an impermissible role in jury selection, not just in his case, but in all death penalty cases in North Carolina. Mr. Bacote’s case may signal the beginning of the end of the death penalty in North Carolina. A trial court will begin to hear evidence in the case on February 26, 2024.
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Capital Punishment
North Carolina v. Hasson Bacote
Hasson Bacote, a Black man from Johnston County, North Carolina, is challenging his death sentence under the first-of-its kind law, the North Carolina Racial Justice Act (RJA). He argues that race played an impermissible role in jury selection, not just in his case, but in all death penalty cases in North Carolina. Mr. Bacote’s case may signal the beginning of the end of the death penalty in North Carolina. A trial court will begin to hear evidence in the case on February 26, 2024.
Jun 2023
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Jun 2023
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. Stein
North Carolina health care providers filed a lawsuit on June 16, 2023 challenging several provisions in Senate Bill 20, a sweeping law that severely restricts access to abortion from the earliest stages of pregnancy and bans care after 12 weeks in nearly all circumstances. The case was filed one month after the North Carolina General Assembly rushed S.B. 20 through both chambers and overrode a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper to put it into law. The law — which was drafted and passed without any opportunity to amend — is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Status: Ongoing
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North Carolina
Reproductive Freedom
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. Stein
North Carolina health care providers filed a lawsuit on June 16, 2023 challenging several provisions in Senate Bill 20, a sweeping law that severely restricts access to abortion from the earliest stages of pregnancy and bans care after 12 weeks in nearly all circumstances. The case was filed one month after the North Carolina General Assembly rushed S.B. 20 through both chambers and overrode a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper to put it into law. The law — which was drafted and passed without any opportunity to amend — is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Jun 2023
Status: Ongoing
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