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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.

Thibodaux High Student's First Amendment Rights Secured (07/23/2009)
New Orleans, LA - Thibodaux High School student Brady Chiasson, who received a detention for following his conscience, has had his disciplinary record cleared of all charges, at the request of the ACLU of Louisiana.

ACLU/SC and Big Bear School District Agree on Measures to Protect Students' Right to Free Speech (02/10/2009)
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Bear Valley Unified School District announced today that they will enter into a settlement that will protect students' right to free speech.

Schools Must Allow Talk About Obama's Inauguration, Says ACLU (01/14/2009)
Today the ACLU of Louisiana released a letter to the Superintendents of all school districts in Louisiana, reminding them to respect the rights of students and school personnel to discuss issues surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20. The letter was prompted by reports of students being punished after Election Day for discussion of the election and its outcome.

Florida Student Who Won ACLU Lawsuit Wins Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award (10/21/2008)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that Heather Gillman has been selected by the Playboy Foundation to receive the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for "her fearlessness in speaking out on behalf of the rights of gay students" at Ponce de Leon High School, located in Florida's Panhandle.

Florida High School Student Wins Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award (10/20/2008)
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida announces that Heather Gillman has been selected by the Playboy Foundation to receive the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for "her fearlessness in speaking out on behalf of the rights of gay students" at her Ponce de Leon high school, located in Florida's Panhandle.

Appeals Court Sides with ACLU, Finds Watson Chapel Students' Free Speech Rights Violated (09/02/2008)
LITTLE ROCK — Today the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of a federal judge in finding that the Watson Chapel School District (WCSD) violated the First Amendment rights of students when they disciplined them for wearing black armbands to protest the student apparel policy. In October 2006 the ACLU of Arkansas filed suit against WCSD alleging the district violated the free speech rights of those students and a federal judge agreed. The school district appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and today that Court upheld the lower court's ruling. The Court said that by winning this lawsuit, the student plaintiffs did something "that benefitted all of the students in the school" and "vindicated" students' right to free speech.

ACLU joins defense of academic freedom at MIT (08/19/2008)
BOSTON - Today, in a case with national importance for academic freedom and freedom of speech, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts are seeking to lift a gag order on three MIT students who have discovered flaws in the electronic "Charlie Card" and "Charlie Ticket" payment systems used by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The hearing in MBTA v. Anderson takes place in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts today, August 19, at 10:30 a.m., in the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse, Courtroom 9, before Judge George A. O'Toole, Jr.

Federal Court Says Ban on Alcohol-Related Advertising in College Publications Violates Free Speech (04/01/2008)

ACLU of Arkansas Applauds Decision by Arkansas Technical University President to Lift Ban on Showing Sondheim-Weidman Musical, “Assassins” (02/29/2008)
Little Rock, Arkansas – Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas applauded the decision by Arkansas Technical University President Robert Brown to lift the ban he had imposed on the Theater Department showing the Sondheim-Weidman musical, “Assassins.” Dr. Brown first announced he would permit only one closed performance of the musical for family members of the cast. He later postponed the play indefinitely, “out of respect for the families of victims” of shootings at other campuses, because of the play’s “portrayal of graphically violent scenes.” The University later indicated that concerns about security issues that might be raised by the sounds of gunfire in the production prompted the postponement.

ACLU Urges William & Mary to Allow Controversial Show to Go On (02/04/2008)
Richmond, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today faxed a letter to William & Mary President Gene Nichol urging him to allow a performance of the Sex Workers’ Art Show to take place tonight as scheduled. The letter also informs him that a special contract the college is requiring sponsoring students and performers to sign is unconstitutional.

School District Affirms Student Speech Rights After 10th Grader Punished for ‘gay? fine by me’ T-Shirt (12/07/2007)
NEW YORK -- The Spencer-Van Etten School District has met a demand from the New York Civil Liberties Union that it send a message directly to its student body affirming students’ constitutional right to free speech. The development occurred in response to the censorship of a Tioga County High School student for wearing a “gay? fine by me” T-shirt.

ACLU of Southern California Asks Chapman University to Restore Free Speech Rights to Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity Members (10/03/2007)
ORANGE, CA - The ACLU of Southern California is asking administrators of Chapman University to restore the free speech and association rights of a group of students affiliated with the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity on their campus.

California Judge Strikes School Dress Code That Banned Winnie-the-Pooh Socks (07/05/2007)
NAPA, CA - A federal judge has blocked a middle school from enforcing an overly strict dress code that got a student punished for wearing Winnie-the-Pooh socks. The court ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California against the Napa Valley Unified School District and Redwood Middle School.

Supreme Court Upholds Vermont Student’s Free Speech Rights (06/27/2007)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the political free speech rights of a Williamstown Middle School student, putting to rest a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont three years ago.

ACLU Slams Supreme Court Decision in Student Free Speech Case (06/25/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in Morse v. Frederick, which held that Alaska public school officials did not violate a student's free speech rights by punishing him for displaying a banner during a public event.

Censorship of Gay Student Is Discriminatory Free Speech Violation, Says ACLU of New Jersey (06/25/2007)
NEWARK - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey in a letter sent today called on the Newark Public Schools to rescind last week's decision to censor hundreds of East Side High School yearbooks that included a photo of a male student kissing his boyfriend. The ACLU-NJ advised the school district that its censorship of this photo violates free speech and New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination.

ACLU of Virginia and College Newspapers Say Ad Restrictions Violate Free Speech Rights (05/31/2007)
RICHMOND, VA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today appeared in federal court to challenge a state policy that violates the free speech rights of students by restricting alcohol advertisements in college newspapers.

The Devil Wears Winnie-the-Pooh? Lawsuit Charges Napa Middle School Dress Code Goes Too Far (03/20/2007)
NAPA, CA – Last year, 7th-grader Toni Kay Scott was sent to the principal’s office not because of a revealing see-through top, spiked collar or platform heels – but because her socks featured a picture of the Winnie-the-Pooh character Tigger.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court Not to Abandon Landmark Student Free Speech Ruling (03/19/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to abandon its famous 1969 ruling that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”