Home : Free Speech : Censorship

ACLU Appeals Ruling That FBI Agents Who Attacked Journalists Can't Be Held Responsible (09/10/2009)
SAN JUAN, PR – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed an appeal of a federal court ruling that found that, even though there was enough evidence to prove that FBI agents violated the Fourth Amendment rights of journalists by attacking them unprovoked, the agents who committed the attack could not be held responsible for their actions.

Supreme Court Rules FCC Ban On Fleeting Expletives Not "Arbitrary," Doesn't Rule On Constitutionality (04/28/2009)
NEW YORK – By a five to four decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that the Federal Communications Commission had not acted arbitrarily when it changed a long-standing policy and implemented a new ban on even "fleeting expletives" from the airwaves. The Court explicitly declined to decide whether the new rule is constitutional, and sent that issue back to the lower courts for their review.

Creative Arts, Media and Free Speech Groups Join ACLU In Urging Supreme Court To Reject FCC Censorship (08/07/2008)
NEW YORK – In a friend-of-the-court brief filed today on behalf of creative arts, media and free speech organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the Federal Communication Commission's regulation of "indecent speech" as arbitrary, inconsistent and irreconcilable with core First Amendment values. The brief urges the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling in Federal Communication Commission (FCC) v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. striking down the recent FCC decision to ban even "fleeting expletives" from the airwaves as an unjustified departure from the agency's longstanding practices.

ACLU Applauds Federal Court Decision To Toss Fine In "Wardrobe Malfunction" Case (07/21/2008)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded a federal appeals court decision to uphold free speech by throwing out a $550,000 indecency fine leveraged against CBS for the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” that exposed her breast at the 2004 Super Bowl.

Súplica del Triunfo de los Reporteros en Caso de la Brutalidad del FBI (06/19/2008)
SAN JUAN, PR - Una corte federal de apelación dictaminó ayer que un ataque no provocado contra periodistas por los agentes del FBI violaría claramente la Cuarta Enmienda. La Corte de Apelación de los E.E.U.U. para el Primer Circuito revocó una decisión de desestimación en un pleito traído por la ACLU a nombre de los periodistas que fueron golpeados a patadas y puños y rociados con gas pimienta por los agentes del FBI mientras intentaban cubrir un allanamiento en un apartamento en San Juan.

Journalists Win Appeal In FBI Brutality Case (06/19/2008)
SAN JUAN, PR - A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that an unprovoked attack on journalists by FBI agents would clearly violate the Fourth Amendment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed an earlier decision to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of journalists who were kicked, punched and pepper sprayed by FBI agents as they attempted to report on the search of a San Juan apartment.

Booksellers, Publishers, Librarians and Others Challenge Censorship Law (04/28/2008)
PORTLAND, Ore. - Should a grandmother have to risk being charged with a crime if she gives her 7-year-old grandson a copy of "It's Perfectly Normal," a sex education book widely regarded as among the best available?

ACLU Urges High Court to Uphold Free Speech Ruling (03/17/2008)
Washington, DC - The Court announced this morning that it will hear an appeal of a lower court ruling in FCC v. Fox Television Stations, et al. that found the FCC failed to provide adequate justification for its regulations governing the broadcast of "fleeting expletives." The Department of Justice is appealing that decision on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

ACLU Asks Judge To Review Lawsuit Challenging FBI Brutality (03/05/2008)
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - The American Civil Liberties Union today will ask a federal appeals court to allow a case brought by journalists who were kicked, punched and pepper sprayed by FBI agents to move forward. The ACLU will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reverse an earlier decision by the district court that sided with the FBI agents and ignored important constitutional issues raised by the journalists.

NYCLU and Journalist Sue to End Secrecy Surrounding NYPD Press Passes (02/20/2008)
The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the NYPD’s refusal to disclose information about its policy for issuing press passes to journalists covering the cops.

University Officials Trample Free Speech (11/02/2007)
OXFORD, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed concern Friday over the reaction of officials at Miami University to a student art display. The art piece, created by a group of students, was intended to symbolize the Tree of Life and featured a tire swing and seven ropes. The display stood for several hours until police were called and removed it because it was deemed controversial. Following the removal of the display, university officials and police have threatened action against the students involved.

ACLU of Arizona Says Arrest of Newspaper Owners Stifles Freedom of Press, Violates Privacy Rights of Readers (10/19/2007)
PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today blasted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for arresting two Phoenix New Times owners, saying the arrests appear to be retaliatory in nature and part of a dragnet effort to uncover confidential information about New Times readers.

ACLU of Virginia Challenges Dismissal of Censored Art Teacher (10/04/2007)
Richmond, VA - Lawyers for the ACLU of Virginia today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond to challenge the dismissal of Stephen Murmer, a Chesterfield County high school art teacher, who was fired over paintings he produces and sells on his own time. Murmer, who uses his buttocks and other parts of his body to transfer paint onto canvasses, lost his job last December after a video of him demonstrating his technique surfaced on YouTube.com.

ACLU ‘Howls’ Against FCC Destroying the Best Poems of a Generation (10/03/2007)
Washington, DC – On the 50th anniversary of a court ruling that deemed Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ not obscene, the American Civil Liberties Union lamented an ironic reversal of First Amendment rights. A New York public radio station chose not to air the poem in its news story commemorating the decision, fearful that massive FCC fines that would have effectively shut down the station. WBAI instead posted the poem online, out of the reach of the FCC.

ACLU Says Pickering Bill Treads on First Amendment (09/19/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union said today that legislation that attempts to regulate the content of television programs introduced today by Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) treads on the First Amendment. The legislation would attempt to regulate “indecent” television programming by requiring the Federal Communications Commission to implement a policy that would make a single word or image “indecent.”

Wardrobe Malfunction Case Demonstrates the Government Makes A Lousy Parent (09/11/2007)
WASHINGTON – Today the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has an opportunity to make clear to the Federal Communications Commission that the job of parenting belongs to parents and not to government. The U.S. appeals court today considers the case of singer Janet Jackson's famous “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 American football Super Bowl halftime show.

ACLU of Arkansas Supports Judge Facing Discipline for Criticizing Bush Administration (07/10/2007)
LITTLE ROCK, AR - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed a letter today with the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission in support of State Appeals Court Judge Wendell Griffen, who is facing disciplinary action by the commission for making public statements that are critical of the Bush administration. The ACLU said that any discipline by the commission would violate the judge's right to freedom of speech.

ACLU Decries Scientific Censorship at Smithsonian (05/23/2007)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced the Smithsonian Institution’s censorship of an Arctic climate change exhibit. Smithsonian scholars watered down a climate change report by scientists, believing it would cause a stir in Congress and the White House.

ACLU of Southern California Settles Free Speech Lawsuit Over Cable TV Censorship (05/22/2007)
LOS ALAMITOS — The Los Alamitos City Council voted unanimously yesterday to settle a lawsuit over its censorship of public-access television programming last year. The city agreed to adopt new policies to protect free speech at Los Alamitos Television Corporation, whose LATV Channel 3 is available to Time Warner customers in Los Alamitos and Rossmoor.

ACLU Scores Free Speech Victory for Columbia Residents (03/22/2007)
ST. LOUIS - The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed a lower court’s ruling prohibiting the city of Columbia and the nonprofit corporation, Memorial Day Weekend Salute to Veterans, from restricting free expression at Columbia’s annual air show.