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Tennessee Appeals Court Unanimously Upholds Rights Of Lesbian Mom (09/21/2009)
NASHVILLE - A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has unanimously ordered a trial court to reconsider a ban preventing a divorced mom from having her partner of 10 years and her own children stay overnight at her home at the same time. The trial court had imposed the so-called "paramour clause" on the lesbian couple even though the psychologist who performed the custodial evaluation in the case found the partner to be a positive influence in the children's lives. The American Civil Liberties Union represented Angel Chandler in her appeal of the restriction.

Tennessee Schools And Students Reach Settlement In Internet Censorship Case (08/13/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN – As a result of a settlement reached in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, two Tennessee school districts agreed to stop blocking access to online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. A federal court dismissed the lawsuit against the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and Knox County Schools after the settlement was reached.

ACLU-TN Finds New MOA to Govern Sheriff's 287(g) Program Worsens Existing Agreement (07/24/2009)
Nashville - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) today released its critique of the new standardized memorandum of agreement (MOA) issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that will guide the Davidson County Sheriff Office's (DCSO) 287(g) program, concluding that the new agreement does not make any meaningful changes from the old agreement and creates additional concerns.

Tennessee Schools End Censorship Of Gay Educational Web Sites After ACLU Lawsuit (06/04/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN – Dozens of Tennessee schools have restored access to online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, just over two weeks after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against two Tennessee school districts for unconstitutionally blocking student access to such sites. The company that provides Internet filtering software to as many as 107 Tennessee school districts has adjusted the software to allow access to a variety of educational and political LGBT Web sites that were blocked before the lawsuit was filed.

Tennessee Schools End Censorship Of Gay Educational Web Sites After ACLU Lawsuit (06/04/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN – Dozens of Tennessee schools have restored access to online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, just over two weeks after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against two Tennessee school districts for unconstitutionally blocking student access to such sites. The company that provides Internet filtering software to as many as 107 Tennessee school districts has adjusted the software to allow access to a variety of educational and political LGBT Web sites that were blocked before the lawsuit was filed.

ACLU Sues To Stop Tennessee Schools From Censoring Gay Educational Web Sites (05/19/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Tennessee sued two Tennessee school districts in federal court today, charging the schools are unconstitutionally blocking students from accessing online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Knox County Schools and as many as 105 other school districts in Tennessee use Internet filtering software to block Web sites containing pro-LGBT speech, but not Web sites touting so-called "reparative therapy" and "ex-gay" ministries. The "LGBT" filter is not used to block sites containing pornography, which are filtered under a different category, but it does block the sites of many well-known LGBT organizations including Parents, Families, And Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

Attorney General Reverses Decision and Waives Open Records Citizenship Requirement (05/14/2009)
NASHVILLE – After denying an out-of-state journalist access to public records regarding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Attorney General's (AG) office reversed its position just hours before an ACLU-TN lawsuit was to be filed on Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of the requirement. The AG's Office had previously denied award-winning freelance journalist Joseph Rosenbloom access to the information on the grounds that he was not a Tennessee citizen and therefore did not have a right to the documents. The move signifies a reversal of the AG's long-held opinion that non-Tennessee citizens could be denied access to public records.

ACLU Demands Tennessee Schools Stop Censoring Gay Educational Websites (04/15/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN - As many as 107 Tennessee public school districts could be illegally preventing students from accessing online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, according to a letter to sent to school officials by the American Civil Liberties Union. The letter demands that Knox County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the Tennessee Schools Cooperative unblock the Internet filtering category designated “LGBT” so that students can access political and educational information about LGBT issues on school computers.

The Tennessee Death Penalty Study Committee Considers Final Report: Committee Members Urge Action (02/18/2009)
Nashville, TN - Following the last meeting of the Tennessee Death Penalty Study Committee on Thursday, February 19, several members of the Committee will hold a press conference in Room 31 to urge both the legislature and Governor to take further action. Committee members including Charles Strobel, Bill Redick, Richard McGee, Isaiah "Skip" Gant, Sita Diehl, and Lorna McClusky urge the Tennessee General Assembly to adopt legislative initiatives being introduced and to pursue further study on those issues not fully addressed by the Committee.

ACLU Urges Tennessee Appeals Court To Protect Rights Of Lesbian Mom (12/23/2008)
NASHVILLE – In a brief filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging a Tennessee appeals court to remove a ban preventing a divorced mom from having her partner of nine years and her own children stay at her home at the same time. The trial court unconstitutionally imposed the so-called "paramour restriction" on the lesbian couple even though the psychologist who performed the custodial evaluation in the case found the partner to be a positive influence in the children's lives.

ACLU-TN Defends Peace Activist's Free Speech Rights (12/17/2008)
Greeneville, TN - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) today announced that it is representing peace activist Dan Frazier who is being sued for $40 billion for selling anti-war t-shirts over the internet.

Folk Musicians Guy and Candie Carawan to Receive ACLU Lifetime Achievement Award at November 1st Celebration (10/24/2008)
Nashville - Legendary folk musicians Guy and Candie Carawan will receive the ACLU-TN Lifetime Achievement Award at the Saturday, Nov. 1st ACLU-TN Bill of Rights Celebration. For over fifty years, the Carawans, affiliated with the Highlander Research and Community Education Center, have used song to promote citizenship education, civil rights work and community organizing.

ACLU-TN Distributing Voters' Rights Cards, Providing Assistance for Voters on Election Day (10/22/2008)
Nashville, Tennessee – In preparation for Election Day, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) has produced a Voter Empowerment Card and is establishing an Election Day hotline to help voters who encounter problems at the polls.

ACLU-TN Survey Reveals Election Officials Lack Knowledge of Voting Rules (09/29/2008)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) today released the results of a statewide survey of election officials which reveals widespread misunderstanding of the laws governing the right to vote of citizens with felony convictions, endangering the voting rights of many in the upcoming presidential election.

Retired RVers' Right to Vote Restored in Time for November Election (09/24/2008)
CLEVELAND, TN – After over two years of administrative and legal wrangling, ACLU-TN has successfully negotiated an agreement that allows full-time RVers Ron and Leone Teel and Tom Layton, to vote in the November presidential election.

ACLU Disappointed With Federal Court Decision Upholding Tennessee's Disenfranchisement Law (09/23/2008)
NASHVILLE – A federal court today rejected a challenge to a Tennessee law that made the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies contingent on the payment of all outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs), namely restitution and child support fees. The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Tennessee, which brought the case on behalf of four individuals who have completed their terms of imprisonment, parole and probation for their offenses, expressed disappointment with the decision.

ACLU Demands Roane County Abandon Illegal Random Drug Testing of Students (09/10/2008)
KINGSTON, TN – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) today sent a letter to the Roane County school district demanding a stop to the random drug testing of student athletes which is in clear violation of state law. In addition to being illegal, random drug testing of students is proven to be ineffective in deterring drug use and is opposed by leading experts in adolescent health, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Education Association, the Association of Addiction Professionals and the National Association of Social Workers.

Preferential Treatment of Praying Parents is Ruled Unconstitutional (05/30/2008)
NASHVILLE – School officials at a Tennessee school district and elementary school violated the Constitution by encouraging a variety of religious activities to occur at the school, Judge Robert Echols of the United States District Court of Middle Tennessee ruled on Thursday.

Tennessee Organizations Call On Fowler To Stop Misleading The Public On SJR127 (04/29/2008)
Five Tennessee organizations joined forces today to declare that state legislators should look beyond the election year rhetoric of the promoters of SJR127, including former State Senator-turned-lobbyist David Fowler. "Just say NO is our message," according to Judy Poulson, President of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee.

Death Sentence Of Mentally Ill Man Reversed (03/11/2008)
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed the conviction and death sentence of Richard Taylor, a severely mentally ill man who has twice been forced to stand trial despite his mental illness and likely incompetence. Taylor was represented during the appeal of his conviction by the American Civil Liberties Union and Kelly Gleason, then a private attorney and now with the Office of the Tennessee Post-Conviction Defender.

ACLU Sues Over Tennessee’s Felon Disenfranchisement Law (02/25/2008)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit today in federal court challenging the state’s 2006 law that made the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of crimes contingent on the payment of all outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs), namely restitution and child support fees. According to the ACLU’s lawsuit, requiring some individuals to bear an undue financial burden before voting is tantamount to a poll tax in violation of the constitutional right to vote and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.

ACLU of Tennessee Files Lawsuit to Protect Retirees’ Voting Rights (11/07/2007)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of senior citizens living full-time in their recreational vehicles who were purged from Tennessee voting rolls because they registered to vote using the street address of a commercial mail forwarding service.

ACLU Urges Tennessee Appeals Court to Reverse Death Sentence of Mentally Ill Man (07/17/2007)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union and the Office of the Tennessee Post-Conviction Defender today urged the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse the conviction and death sentence of Richard Taylor, who is severely mentally ill.

ACLU Gives Tennessee High School an F in Civics for Censoring Gay and Gay-Supportive Students (05/14/2007)
Jonesborough, TN -- After a high school principal suspended a student for participating in a silent demonstration to raise awareness about anti-gay violence, the American Civil Liberties Union demanded today that David Crockett High School apologize to the student and promise not to punish students who take part in such actions in the future.

ACLU Appoints Gay Rights Attorney to Work in the South (04/10/2007)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union has appointed noted gay rights attorney Christine Sun to lead the American Civil Liberties Union’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights work in the south. Sun, who has worked on LGBT and AIDS issues for the ACLU in California since 2004, will work out of the ACLU of Tennessee’s office in the Nashville.

ACLU of Tennessee Fights for Religious Freedom in Wilson County Public School (09/27/2006)
NASHVILLE - Acting on behalf of a Wilson County family, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today asked a federal court to end practices by teachers and other officials that put pressure on students to engage in religious activities at Lakeview Elementary School.

ACLU Launches Nationwide Action Against NSA Snooping on Americans’ Phone Calls (05/24/2006)
NEW YORK -- Responding to reports that phone companies are turning over private details about Americans’ telephone calls to the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union today launched a nationwide initiative to end illegal government spying.

ACLU Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Review Tennessee’s Anti-Choice License Plate Program (05/01/2006)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court decision upholding an anti-choice specialty license plate in Tennessee, saying that the specialty license plate program violates the free speech rights of some Tennessee residents.

ACLU Hails Federal Appeals Court Ruling Delaying Production of Tennessee’s Anti-Choice License Plate (04/21/2006)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a federal appeals court decision delaying Tennessee’s production of an anti-choice specialty license plate while the organization seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of a ruling upholding the plate as constitutional.

ACLU Asks Federal Appeals Court to Delay Tennessee’s Production of Anti-Choice License Plate (04/07/2006)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal appeals court to delay Tennessee’s production of an anti-choice specialty license plate while the organization seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of a ruling upholding the plate as constitutional.

ACLU Troubled By Appeals Court Decision Allowing Anti-Choice License Plate in Tennessee (03/17/2006)
CINCINNATI – The American Civil Liberties Union said it was troubled by a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision today allowing an anti-abortion specialty license plate in Tennessee. In promoting an anti-choice plate, while opposing a pro-choice one, the state has set up a discriminatory scheme, the ACLU said.

ACLU of Tennessee Files Appeal Over Passage of Anti-Marriage Amendment (02/23/2006)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today announced an appeal to the State Supreme Court after Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled to allow an anti-marriage amendment to go forward.

ACLU Asks Appeals Court To Uphold Ruling Blocking Anti-Choice License Plate in TN (11/02/2005)
CINCINNATI - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling blocking an anti-abortion specialty license plate in Tennessee, saying that the plate discriminates against opposing viewpoints.

ACLU of Tennessee's Annual Meeting to Focus on Renewal of the Voting Rights Act (09/13/2005)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee's annual membership meeting, to be held here on September 24, will focus on the importance of renewing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which is scheduled to expire in 2007.

Tennessee's Use of Lethal Injection Chemical Blocks Public's First Amendment Right to Know, Says ACLU (06/08/2005)
NASHVILLE -- The public and the media have the First Amendment right to witness and gather accurate information about Tennessee's execution procedure, said the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the Middle Tennessee State University newspaper, Sidelines, in a supporting brief to a case challenging the state's method of lethal injection argued before the state supreme court today.

ACLU of Tennessee's "Campaign Against Racial Profiling" Achieves Another Success With Passage of Traffic Stops Bill (05/12/2005)
NASHVILLE, TN -- The recent resounding passage of a bill to study racial profiling bill is the latest achievement in the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee's ""Campaign Against Racial Profiling,"" the group announced today.

Only One Quarter of Hospital Emergency Rooms in Tennessee Always Provide Emergency Contraception to Sexual Assault Patients, ACLU Survey Finds (05/04/2005)
NASHVILLE -- Only one quarter of surveyed Tennessee hospital emergency rooms always provide emergency contraception to sexual assault patients, according to a new survey released today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

ACLU of Tennessee Files Lawsuit Challenging State Amendment Banning Marriages for Same-Sex Couples (04/21/2005)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit today challenging a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would ban same-sex couples from being able to marry in the state. The lawsuit charges that the state failed to meet notification requirements as outlined in the state constitution.

ACLU of Tennessee Providing Assistance for Voters on Election Day, Distributing Voter Empowerment Cards (10/28/2004)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee announced today that it is distributing informational cards describing voters' rights and staffing a hotline for voters who face obstacles at the polls on Election Day.

Tennessee Court Blocks Anti-Choice License Plate; ACLU and Planned Parenthood Say Decision Protects Free Speech (09/24/2004)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood today hailed a Tennessee court for blocking an anti-abortion-rights specialty license plate because it discriminates against opposing viewpoints.

ACLU and Planned Parenthood Ask Tennessee Court to Block Anti-Choice License Plate (09/23/2004)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union argued today in a Tennessee court against an anti-abortion-rights specialty license plate, saying it discriminates against opposing viewpoints.

Agreeing with ACLU Arguments, Tennessee Court Overturns Local Ban on Fortune-Telling (06/07/2004)
NASHVILLE -- In a victory for free speech, Federal District Court Judge Robert Echols today struck down a local ban on fortune telling in a challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

Tennessee Appeals Court Says Government Can't Treat Gay People Differently in Deciding Child Custody and Visitation (03/24/2004)
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Court of Appeals today struck down a court order that told a gay parent not to do anything which ""exposes"" his son to ""the gay lifestyle,"" according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the parent.

ACLU Convinces Tennessee Appeals Court to Reconsider Order Barring Gay Father from "Exposing" Son to Partner (02/09/2004)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union said today that is has convinced the Court of Appeals of Tennessee to reconsider a lower court order that prevents a gay father from ""exposing"" his son to his partner.

ACLU and Planned Parenthood Ask Tennessee Court to Block Anti-Abortion License Plate (11/06/2003)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit today to stop Tennessee officials from sponsoring an anti-abortion-rights specialty license plate, saying the program discriminates against opposing viewpoints.

ACLU of Tennessee Challenges Local Ban on Fortune Telling (07/24/2003)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman whose free speech rights are being violated because of a local city ordinance prohibiting fortune telling.

Acting on Behalf of Concerned Residents and Clergy, ACLU of TN Challenges Posting of Ten Commandments in County Buildings (01/29/2002)
NASHVILLE, TN--Acting on behalf of a coalition of clergy and concerned residents, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today filed a lawsuit challenging the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings in Hamilton County. 

Bill Backing Boy Scouts Dismissed as Prejudicial (05/28/2001)
NASHVILLE--Critics of legislation filed by Representative Van Hilleary and United States Senator Strom Thurmond say the bill purportedly designed to stop discrimination against

Franklin, Tennessee High School Senior is Among 12 Winners of ACLU College Scholarship for Youth Activism (05/23/2001)
NASHVILLE - - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today announced that Jonathan Eli Arnold of Page High School is one of 12 seniors nationwide to be awarded a $4,000 college scholarship in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the struggle to defend civil liberties. of Tennessee. "He has been a wonderful asset, and we are confident he will bring to the community at large the enthusiasm for civil liberties that he has displayed here volunteering with us."

Tennessee Senator Sponsoring Bill to Block Executions (02/02/2001)
NASHVILLE--State Representative Rob Briley has agreed to sponsor a bill on behalf of the ACLU and 20 additional organizations that would place a moratorium on executions while a study is conducted into the fairness and application of the death penalty, the Tennessean reported.

ACLU of Tennessee Launches Statewide Campaign to End Racial Profiling (01/07/2000)
NASHVILLE, TN -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today announced a statewide campaign to fight racial profiling, the law enforcement practice of disproportionately stopping and searching racial minorities for no reason except the color of their skin.