In our public schools, young people not only learn
about their constitutional rights, but they also see firsthand how those
rights are affected by the actions of their teachers and school administrators.
The ACLU of Utah is dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights
of students and to helping students understand what their rights are in
school.
National ACLU links for youth & students: LGBT youth & schools >> Youth & the criminal justice system >>
Students! Know Your Rights: A Guide for Utah Public High School Students
What you need to know about:
Your Right to an Education • Freedom of Speech & Expression
Religious Freedom • Search and Seizure • Discrimination • Discipline
Student Records • Military Recruitment • And more to come ... Go to the guide >>
Press Releases - Litigation
Legal Advocacy and Policy Work
Legislative Reports - Resources - Events
High School Students - Are You Facing Suspension or Expulsion?
Posted 4/26/13 - This brochure designed by the Civil Rights Clinic at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law explains what your rights are when facing disciplinary action at school.
Download the brochure (PDF) >>
Visit the Civil Rights Clinic website >>
2013 Annual Civil Liberties Forum: The School-to-Prison Pipeline
TODAY in Ogden, Wednesday, April 3, 10:30 am, at Weber State University. This year’s forum will focus on the SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE, a phenomenon that sees thousands of students of color each year targeted for discipline through the criminal justice system, rather than through the educational system, for school-based offenses. Read more >>
ACLU of Utah Announces 2013 Youth Activist Scholarship Recipients
Posted 3/5/13 - A selection committee composed of community leaders and educators reviewed qualifying candidates from across the state and have selected three high school seniors to receive the 2013 Youth Activist Scholarship awards. The recipients will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and will be honored at the ACLU of Utah’s 2013 Bill of Rights Celebration on May 17, 2013. The winners include: a religious liberties advocate who has used her personal challenges to fight for the rights of polygamous families; a young Latino immigrant working to expand education opportunities for minorities; and an activist for sex education, who has spoken at schools, youth groups and public events to talk about issues surrounding reproductive health.
Meet the 2013 Youth Activist Scholarship recipients >>
The Civil Liberties Minute - Once Upon A Time, In Our Mothers' House…
Posted 2/14/13 - A copy of "In Our Mothers' House" was very unhappy when it was moved behind the counter of a Utah elementary school library—and so was the ACLU.
Listen to the 1 minute audio podcast produced by the ACLU of Massachusetts >>
After Returning Book to Shelves, Utah School District Agrees Not to Remove Library Books Containing LGBT Content
Posted 1/31/13 - In the wake of its decision to return “In Our Mother’s’ House,” a book about a family with same-sex parents to the shelves of elementary schools, Davis School District in Utah has agreed to never again remove the book based solely on its content. The agreement settles a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Utah on behalf of a mother with children in the district that had remained pending after the book’s return.
Read the press release >>
Davis School District Returns Children’s Book About Lesbian Parents to Library Shelves
Posted 1/14/13 - Davis School District has returned a children’s book about a family with same-sex parents to its library shelves following a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Utah on behalf of a mother with children in the district.
Read more >>
ACLU Files Lawsuit Over Unlawful Sweep at Utah School Targeting Students of Color
Posted 12/13/12 - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit against school and police officials today over a “gang sweep” in which students of color were detained, interrogated and falsely accused of participating in gang activity. The complaint stems from a December 2010 incident during which between 14 and 40 West High School students of color were detained, interrogated, searched and forced to be photographed holding signs identifying them as gang members. Their personal information was entered into a “gang database,” making them subject to additional police scrutiny even though they did not commit a crime. All of the detained students were of Latino, African-American or Pacific Island descent, even though they make up only half of the student body.
Read more >>
Davis School District Sued for Removing Children’s Book About Lesbian Parents from Library Shelves
Posted 11/13/12 - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Utah filed a lawsuit against the Davis School District after elementary schools in the district were instructed to remove a children’s book about a family with same-sex parents from library shelves. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a mother whose children attend one of the schools where the book was restricted.
Read more >>
Scholarship Offers Financial Aid For College To Youth Activists
Posted 9/13/12 - For the 6th year, the ACLU of Utah is looking for graduating seniors who have been involved in some kind of civil liberties activism. Three candidates will be picked by a selection committee, made up of community leaders and educators, to receive $1,000 which will be applied to their first year of college. Past winners have come from many parts of Utah and their activism has included advocating for racial diversity, the rights of disabled students, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and equality for all.
Read more >>
Davis School District Restricts Access To Library Book Raising Constitutional Concerns, - Looking for Parents of Elementary Students in Davis School District
Posted 8/17/12 - As you may recall, we've been investigating the District's removal of the book "In Our Mothers' House" from the shelves of school libraries and requiring parental permission to check it out. For school administrators to place restrictions on a library book because they disagree with its message is viewpoint discrimination, and violates the First Amendment. We would like to speak to parents with children at Parkside Elementary School in Clinton, Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Snow Horse Elementary School in Kaysville or South Weber Elementary School in South Weber, where the book was removed.
Read more >>
ACLU of Utah Urges Utah State Board Of Education To Protect Privacy Of Students Taking Military Entrance Exam
Posted 7/19/12 - Yesterday, the ACLU of Utah sent a letter to State Superintendent of schools Larry Shumway raising grave concerns about the privacy implications of Utah public high schools’ use of the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery test, also known as the ASVAB. The ASVAB, promoted as a voluntary “Career Exploration Program,” is a recruiting tool used by the U.S. military. According to the National Coalition to Protect Student Privacy, in the 2009-10 school year, 8,365 Utah high school students took the ASVAB. The national group estimates that about 90% of those students’ results and information were provided to the U.S. military without the consent of their parents.
Read more >>
Press Releases
ACLU Files Lawsuit Over Unlawful Sweep at Utah School Targeting Students of Color (12/13/12)
Utah Youth Stand Up For Their Rights (1/21/09)
Slam the Vote: Power, Poetry and Politics (9/11/08)
Lights...Camera...Activism (4/3/08)
Local Youth Activists are also National ACLU Scholarship Winners (3/14/08)
Provo High School
sees first same-sex couple promenade at prom (4/29/05)
Copper
Hills High School revokes discriminatory dance policy (12/22/04)
ACLU
defends Utah high school students censored for wearing gay-themed anti-smoking
t-shirts (5/11/04)
State
of Utah spent quarter million in futile fight against gay student groups (11/13/01)
Students
and Salt Lake City School Board end feud over gay-supportive clubs (10/6/00)
Judge orders school to make room for student club
with gay perspective (4/27/00)
Salt Lake School District sued for nixing yet another
school club: Despite in-court pledge not to suppress gay-positive views,
district rejects club’s application (4/11/00)
Gay-positive views will not be censored, Salt Lake school officials guarantee (12/2/99)
Gay/Straight Alliance’s lawsuit to proceed against
Salt Lake School Board -- Utah federal judge says barring student group
may have violated the First Amendment (10/8/99)
ACLU of Utah executive director clarifies affiliate
position on school uniforms in a letter to the editor (10/20/98)
Utah high school “Gay/Straight Alliance” sues school
board over right to exist (3/19/98)
Litigation
East High Gay/Straight Alliance v. Board of Education
East High School PRISM Club v. Cynthia L. Seidel
Legal Advocacy and Policy Work
ACLU of Utah Urges Utah State Board of Education to Protect Privacy of Students Taking Military Entrance Exam (7/19/12)
ACLU of Utah reaches out to Davis School District to discuss constitutional requirements (6/12/12)
ACLU sends HB 363 veto letter to Governor Herbert and then Gov. Herbert vetoes sex-ed bill, ACLU applauds him (3/19/12)
ACLU of Utah asks school superintendents to confirm that LGBT students will not be excluded from school dances (11/8/11)
Under Pressure, Granite School District Lifts Ban on Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelets (12/21/10)
ACLU of Utah stands up for Gay Teens- Battling bias one mind at a time (5/3/10)
ACLU of Utah pressures school district to revise their unconstitutional policies, and allow formation of gay straight alliances (4/26/10)
ACLU of Utah advises Eastmont Middle School of
inappropriate religious material in its school yearbook; and
applauds principal’s positive response (8/27/07)
ACLU of Utah advocates for Jordan High School student’s due process rights (6/27/07)
Uintah
School District agrees student dress code policies cannot rely on
outdated gender stereotypes (12/14/05) (Read
our letter to Uintah High School)
ACLU of Utah advocates on
behalf of a high school student who was turned away from her homecoming
dance because she wasn't wearing a dress, despite the fact that
she was wearing formal attire (12/8/05) (Read
Uintah School District’s response)
Letter
on behalf of Utah high school student who was told to change gay-friendly
t-shirt (10/20/05)
Letter to Provo High School regarding
the right of same-sex couples to participate in annual prom and promenade (4/15/05)
Letter
to Copper Hills High School regarding its school dances policy (12/7/04)
Letter to Hillcrest High School and the
Jordan School District regarding the school’s disciplinary actions against
a group of students who wore t-shirts proclaiming “Queers Kick
Ash” to school (5/11/04)
Letter
to Murray High School regarding its actions prohibiting a lesbian student
couple from joining other couples in the “grand promenade”
at their Junior Prom (3/11/04)
Letter to Midway
Elementary School regarding the harassment of a student with disabilities
resulting from brain tumor surgery (8/18/03)
Letter to Logan High School regarding
its student Gay/Straight Alliance (6/20/03)
From Our Legislative Reports
ACLU of Utah asks Governor Huntsman to veto student clubs bill (2007)
Lawmakers pass comprehensive school vouchers law (2007)
Anti-evolution
bill fails (2006)
Legislators rejected attempts to ban
Gay/Straight Alliances in public high schools (2006)
Resolution misstates the law
regarding students’ right to voluntarily pray and engage in
other religious expression in public school (2006)
Bill provides definitions of civic education, character education,
and values (2004)
Law now requires that the pledge of allegiance be recited weekly at the beginning
of the day in all Utah secondary schools (2003)
Tuition tax credit proposal fails again (2002)
Legislature revisits school uniforms (2002)
Bill negatively impacts gay-positive viewpoints expressed in the classroom (2001)
Bill requires that the pledge of allegiance be
recited at the beginning of each day in all elementary schools (2000)
Bill institutes some good
procedural requirements for public schools wishing to adopt school uniform policies (2000)
Annual tuition tax credit bill fails (1999)
Articles and Resources
Scholarship Offers Financial Aid for College to Youth Activists (September 2012)
Davis School District Restricts Access to Library Book Raising Constitutional Concerns (August 2012)
Youth Activist Scholarship Winners (April 2012)
Support open health education in our schools (February 2012)
How to start a GSA today (November 2011)
Youth Activist Scholarship Winners (April 2011)
Take Action: Stop Censorhip in our public schools (April 2011)
Utah GSA Clubs make national news (January 2011)
Gay Straight alliances flourishing in Utah Schools (December 2010)
Protect LGBT students from harassment and discrimination (October 2010)
ACLU Staffers' "It Gets Better" videos (October 2010)
Youth Activist Scholarship Winners (2010)
Know Your Rights: A guide for Public High School Students (August 2009)
New ACLU Resources to help LGBT Students Prepare for High School Prom (May 2009)
Why the ACLU of Utah Opposes H.B. 148, “Education Vouchers” (August 2007)
LDS Seminary in Public Schools (August 2007)
Students’ Right to Form Gay/Straight Alliances (April 2007)
Divine Design (Fall 2005)
Frequently Asked Questions on Student Privacy, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the No Child Left Behind Act (Fall 2005)
The Teaching of Creationism, Intelligent
Design, and Divine Design in Public Schools (June 2005)
The Right of Same-Sex Student Couples to Participate
in their High School Dances, Proms, and Promenades (April
2005)
Mandatory School Uniforms (August 2002)
GLSEN Utah Newsletter: Balancing the rights
of students, teachers and parents (July 1999)
Missionary week in public high schools
(June 1999)
New Granite School District Policy
Renews Controversy Over Gay-Related Student Groups (Fall 1997)
Events
High School Students & Parents: Know Your Rights!
More information>>
Reports
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