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In The Media

Follow the links below to view ACLU of Utah press releases.

ACLU of Utah in the Media:

Prior Years: [2017] [2018] [2019] [2020]

July 2021

'A philosophical change': How Davis County is working to prevent inmate suicides
KSL
07/6/2021

June 2021

‘Deceased’: Suspect in Murray police shootout becomes 5th officer-involved fatality in Utah this year
ABC4
06/23/2021

Banning critical race theory harms minority students, panel of educators says
KSL
06/18/2021

USU data law expert named to state privacy commission
Cache Valley Daily
06/20/2021

Discussions On Transgender Girls In School Sports Continues In The Legislature
KPCW
06/17/2021

Protesters Accused Of Painting Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office Red Plead Guilty To Lesser Charges
KUER
06/16/2021

Bills on transgender youth will return to Utah legislature
FOX 13
06/16/2021

RADIOACTIVE SUMMER BREAK: JUNE 15, 2021
KRCL
06/15/2021

San Juan County heads toward potential electoral redistricting: Decades of legal trouble complicate process
Moab Sun News
06/03/2021

May 2021

Utah transgender athlete bill coming back, but sponsor plans to do things differently
KUTV
05/24/2021

ACLU raps health department for lack of COVID-19 inmate vaccinations at Weber County Jail
Ogden Standard Examiner
05/20/2021

The Utah AG’s Office Found Police Were Justified In Their Response To A Cottonwood Heights Protest
KUER
05/12/2021

April 2021

As Utah Corrections Department Reaches Vaccine Milestone, ACLU Pushes For More Access In Local Jails
KUER
04/29/2021

ACLU of Utah calls for universal vaccine access for incarcerated people
Salt Lake Tribune
04/28/2021

Soter: It’s Time for a New Salt Lake Homeless Shelter
Daily Utah Chronicle
04/20/2021

'Love Your Rights' campaign to teach what to do if you're stopped by police
KUTV
04/20/2021

Utah's mobile driver license eventually could make laminated ID cards an optional relic
Ogden Standard Examiner
04/13/2021

Governor hopes new homelessness chief can keep Legislature 'involved' in solving problem
Deseret News
04/13/2021

Salt Lake City police are giving officers shotguns that shoot beanbags
Salt Lake Tribune
04/12/2021

Trial set in civil suit over Davis County inmate's death from internal bleeding after fall
Ogden Standard Examiner
04/10/2021

Years after a spate of questionable Utah in-custody deaths, Utah jail operating standards are now public records
Salt Lake Tribune
04/02/2021

March 2021

Judge orders release of Utah jail standards, ruling copyright is not a blanket protection
Ogden Standard Examiner
03/26/2021

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox vetoes controversial social media legislation
Salt Lake Tribune
03/23/2021

Cox vetoes effort to address perceived social media censorship — and it’s a family matter now
Deseret News
03/23/2021

Letter: Two acts set for U.S. Senate vote could initiate bold and inclusive immigration reform
Salt Lake Tribune
03/23/2021

Utah governor signs divisive measure to require porn filters
AP
03/23/2021

Utah’s Anti-Porn Crusade Marches On With Tech Filtering Law
Courthouse News
03/23/2021

Utah is about to pass a law making iPhones filter porn — but only if other states pass one, too
The Verge
03/21/2021

Cushman: Don’t Be Lenient on Biden
Daily Utah Chronicle
03/21/2021

Utah should not expand the government’s role in censoring free speech
Deseret News
03/19/2021

UTAH’S HARD-WON BAIL REFORMS ARE IN JEOPARDY
The Appeal
03/19/2021

Courtesy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration and Customs Enforcement
KSL
03/18/2021

Capitol Capers
City Weekly
03/18/2021

Exclusive: How the Utah Jazz got involved in the debate over the transgender sports bill
Salt Lake Tribune
03/16/2021

Porn would automatically be blocked on phones under Utah law
NY Post/AP
03/16/2021

Utah campaign against porn marches on with phone filter bill awaiting governor's signature
KSL/AP
03/16/2021

US House to examine bill setting new standards for biometric, digital privacy rights
BiometricUpdate.com
03/15/2021

Utah bill enhances consequences for people who fail to report abuse
KUTV
03/11/2021

Tech winners in Utah’s 2021 legislative session: Cellphone porn filters, new rules for social media platforms and personal privacy protections
Deseret News
03/07/2021

Election integrity law survives Legislature’s last days
Cache Valley Daily
03/07/2021

Government’s use of facial recognition software regulated under bill headed to governor
Salt Lake Tribune
03/04/2021

Utah Legislature Passes Bill to Require Cell Phone Manufacturers to Install Pornography Filters
Law and Crime
03/05/2021

What Passed And What Failed — A Recap Of The 2021 Legislative Session
KUER
03/05/2021

KUER Week 7: Pass Bills, Not Germs
KUER
03/05/2021

Utah within shooting distance of social media content moderation law
03/04/2021

Bill to ban transgender athletes in women’s sports stalls in Utah legislature
BYU Daily Universe
03/03/2021

February 2021

Utah lawmakers mostly behind a passel of personal privacy bills, but time's running short
Deseret News
02/28/2021

Black kids in Utah are arrested at 8 times their share of the population. This bill suggests a way to possibly change that
Salt Lake Tribune
02/26/2021

Utah lawmakers taking aim at social media censorship in proposed legislation
Salt Lake Tribune
02/26/2021

Mantua Police deploy license-plate reading cameras to the entrances of town
KUTV
02/26/2021

Bill targets how police use info showing where you’ve been and what internet searches you make
Deseret News
02/25/2021

Utah could scrap its English-only law
Salt Lake Tribune
02/25/2021

Advocate says transgender athlete bill not about 'equality,' 'fairness'
KUTV
2/23/2021

Senate committee approves bill requiring de-escalation training for police in wake of 2020 protests
St George Utah
02/23/2021

Utah Legislative Committee Passes Bill With Harsh Penalties For Rioters
KUER
02/18/2021

Utah legislative committee approves harsh rioting penalties
AP
02/18/2021

Leaders of armed groups advocate for Utah bill increasing punishment for rioters
Salt Lake Tribune
02/17/2021

Two bills born from last summer's protests get approval by senate committee
FOX13
02/17/2021

‘Enough’s enough’: Utah lawmakers move to toughen penalties on ‘rioters
Deseret News
02/17/2021

Utah legislative committee holds watered-down bill addressing controversial no-knock warrants
Salt Lake Tribune
02/17/2021

Package thieves could face a minimum $3,000 fine, 10-day jail sentence under new Utah bill
Salt Lake Tribune
02/16/2021

Utah advances bill that would require mandatory ‘porn filter’ on smartphones and tablets
Fortune
02/16/2021

'We're out here because of trauma': Being homeless in Utah in winter during COVID-19
KSL
02/14/2021

Will this Utah proposal quash lawsuits from victims of data breaches?
Deseret News
02/14/2021

Lawmakers pursue limiting public access to mug shots
AP
02/14/2021

Utah Bill Seeking To Reign In No-knock Warrants Stalls In Legislative Committee
KUER
02/12/2021

Effort to restrict police use of ‘no-knock’ warrants in Utah stalls in House committee
Deseret News
02/12/2021

Bill that would prohibit protesting outside private homes advances
Fox 13
02/09/2021

Ballot tracking proposal advancing with bipartisan support in state legislature
Cache Valley Daily
02/07/2021

KRCL RADIOACTIVE: February 4, 2021
KRCL
02/04/2021

Utah lawmakers discuss police reform bills
FOX13
02/04/2021

7 bills spurred by slain Utah student Lauren McCluskey target officer misconduct
Salt Lake Tribune
02/03/2021

Utah bill discriminates against transgender girls, LGBTQ advocates say
KUTV
02/03/2021

Banjo debacle begets new efforts to bolster Utahns’ personal privacy
Deseret News
02/03/2021

Protesting outside an official’s home targeted by Utah lawmaker
Deseret News
02/02/2021

Utah Bill Looks to Tighten Grip on Facial Recognition Use
GOVTECH
02/02/2021

Case of slain Utah athlete Lauren McCluskey prompts new revenge porn bill
Deseret News
02/01/2021

2 police reform bills advance to House vote, 1 fails
KUTV
02/01/2021

January 2021

Utah lawmaker takes aim at rioters with bill critics say goes too far
KUTV
01/28/2021

Lawmaker wants women to prove they watched video of developing fetus before abortion
Deseret News
01/27/2021

Utah bill called solid 'first step' toward facial recognition policy
Statescoop
01/25/2021

Utah Senate panel advances bill to regulate government use of facial recognition technology
Salt Lake Tribune
01/23/2021

Senate committee recommends bill to ‘raise the bar’ on use of gang enhancement penalties
Salt Lake Tribune
01/21/2021

In first for Utah Utah, a police chief is tapped to lead state office on criminal justice
Deseret News
01/17/2021

After a summer of protests, Utah lawmakers will consider dozens of police reform bills this session
Salt Lake Tribune
01/13/2021

RADIOACTIVE: JANUARY 11, 2021
KRCL
01/11/2021

Inmate with COVID-19 sues Department of Corrections for shuffling prisoners amid outbreaks
KSL
01/10/2021

County witnesses predict release of jail standards would harm private sheriff's contractor
Ogden Standard Examiner
01/08/2021

Trial begins over Davis County's withholding of copyrighted jail standards
Ogden Standard Examiner
01/06/2021

Potential death sentence:' Utah inmate claims 'gross negligence' over COVID transfers
KUTV
01/05/2021

ACLU of Utah 2013 Youth Activist Scholarship Recipients Announced

21 February 2013 Published in Newsroom

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah has selected three high school seniors in Utah to receive the organization’s 2013 Youth Activist Scholarship. The recipients will each receive a $1,000 scholarship, in recognition of their commitment to civil liberties through activism. The winners will be honored at the ACLU of Utah’s 2013 Bill of Rights Celebration on May 17, 2013.

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Civil Rights Coalition in Court Friday to Challenge Utah’s Anti-Immigrant Law Press Conference To Take Place After Hearing

12 February 2013 Published in Newsroom

Download a PDF of this advisory >> Attorneys from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Utah will ask a federal judge on Friday to continue to block the state’s anti-immigrant law.

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Brigham City "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance Lawsuit Settled After City Repeals Ordinance

10 February 2013 Published in Newsroom

The Main Street Church of Brigham City has settled its lawsuit challenging Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance. The suit alleged that the Ordinance violated the Utah and United States Constitutions because it required a permit for almost any conceivable form of public expression and imposed civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply. The ACLU of Utah filed the suit on behalf of Main Street Church after the City relied on the Ordinance to bar the church from passing out pamphlets on certain sidewalks during the Brigham City LDS Temple Open House. After the lawsuit was filed, the City agreed to allow a limited number of Main Street Church representatives to pass out pamphlets on all sidewalks. Brigham City later repealed the Ordinance entirely. That repeal cleared the way for the out-of-court settlement the parties reached.

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After Returning Book to Shelves, Utah School District Agrees Not to Remove Library Books Containing LGBT Content

14 January 2013 Published in Newsroom

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.

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ACLU Files Lawsuit Over Unlawful Sweep at Utah School Targeting Students of Color

12 December 2012 Published in Newsroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:December 13, 2012 Police Detained and Interrogated Students Based on Their Race And Ethnicity The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit against school and police officials 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. “Schools should be a place where everyone can learn and grow, not a location where students of color are targeted and harassed,” said Courtney Bowie, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Racial Justice Program, which filed the complaint along with the ACLU of Utah. “Instead of policing our classrooms and criminalizing students of color, school and government officials must focus on educating our youth, and do…

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ACLU of Utah Settles Claim Of Man Stopped And Cited For "Flipping The Bird" At Orem Police Officer

14 November 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Settles Claim Of Man Stopped And Cited For "Flipping The Bird" At Orem Police Officer - The ACLU of Utah has successfully settled a freedom of expression case in Orem City. On June 25, 2010, Seth Dame "flipped the bird" at an Orem City police officer who was driving by. The officer then stopped the car Seth was riding in and questioned Seth and the others in his car for about 20 minutes. The officer then issued a disorderly conduct citation against Seth for "flipping the bird" at him. Orem City later declined to prosecute the citation. After hearing from Seth, the ACLU of Utah contacted Orem City to inform them that the officer had violated Seth's rights under the First and Fourth Amendments. The ACLU of Utah also conducted an investigation into the Orem Police Department's practices in issuing disorderly conduct citations.

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ACLU of Utah Files Complaint Challenging Brigham City's Unconstitutional "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance

09 November 2012 Published in Newsroom

PRESS RELEASE -- Today, the ACLU of Utah filed a complaint on behalf of the Main Street Church of Brigham City challenging Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance. The suit alleges that on its face, the ordinance violates the Utah and United States Constitutions because it requires a permit for almost any conceivable form of public expression and imposes civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply. This ordinance could subject many unsuspecting people in Brigham City to liability for engaging in activities protected by the First Amendment.

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Brigham City Suspends Enforcement of Free Speech Ordinance: Free Speech For All Returns to Brigham City

08 November 2012 Published in Newsroom

Posted 9/14/12 - As of yesterday evening, representatives of the Main Street Church have been peacefully handing out their literature on the public sidewalks surrounding the LDS Temple. The Main Street Church agreed to limit the number of its representatives to four on each side of the street. This agreement does not suspend the lawsuit filed against Brigham City. Main Street Church and the ACLU of Utah have not conceded that any past enforcement of the ordinance was constitutional. They also continue to contend that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and that it should be completely struck down by the court.

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ACLU Scholarship Offers Financial Aid For College To Utah Youth Activists

09 October 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Scholarship Offers Financial Aid For College To Utah Youth Activists For Immediate Release October 9, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The ACLU of Utah’s Youth Activist Scholarship Program, now in its sixth year, recognizes Utah high school seniors who are passionate about civil liberties, and have taken a stand to show it. Three winners, selected by a committee of educators and community leaders, are each awarded a $1000 scholarship to be used toward their first year of college. Past scholarship recipients have come from many parts of Utah including Logan, Ogden, Provo, St. George, Orem, Moab, and Salt Lake City. They have positively impacted their communities by advocating for: racial justice; immigrants' rights; equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students; increased reproductive health education; women's rights; and free speech and expression. “Every year we look forward to reviewing the scholarship applications from graduating senior high school students,” says Anna Brower, Development Director at the ACLU of Utah. “It is an inspiring experience to learn more about the outstanding Utah high school youth who advocate for civil liberties in their schools and communities.” The winners of the 2011-2012 ACLU of Utah Youth Activist Scholarship…

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ACLU Scholarship Offers Financial Aid For College To Utah Youth Activists

08 October 2012 Published in Newsroom

MR_Scholarship_10-04-12.pdf For Immediate Release October 9, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The ACLU of Utah’s Youth Activist Scholarship Program, now in its sixth year, recognizes Utah high school seniors who are passionate about civil liberties, and have taken a stand to show it. Three winners, selected by a committee of educators and community leaders, are each awarded a $1000 scholarship to be used toward their first year of college. Past scholarship recipients have come from many parts of Utah including Logan, Ogden, Provo, St. George, Orem, Moab, and Salt Lake City. They have positively impacted their communities by advocating for: racial justice; immigrants' rights; equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students; increased reproductive health education; women's rights; and free speech and expression. “Every year we look forward to reviewing the scholarship applications from graduating senior high school students,” says Anna Brower, Development Director at the ACLU of Utah. “It is an inspiring experience to learn more about the outstanding Utah high school youth who advocate for civil liberties in their schools and communities.” The winners of the 2011-2012 ACLU of Utah Youth Activist Scholarship awards certainly exemplify this commitment to and passion for civil liberties.…

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Utah Supreme Court Grants Hearing on “Gang Injunction”

30 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah, along with cooperating attorneys from the Salt Lake City law firm Parr, Brown, Gee & Loveless, will be appearing before the Utah Supreme Court on October 25th for a hearing on whether a controversial injunction issued in Weber County should be subject to immediate appeal in the state’s highest court. On August 20th, Weber County attorneys filed a complaint with the Second District Court in Ogden, asking the court to declare the “Ogden Trece” a public nuisance and impose a multi-faceted injunction regulating the activities of Ogden residents identified by the police as alleged members of the Ogden Trece The Ogden Trece has been described in various court filings and newspaper articles as a “criminal street gang” consisting of several hundred members and operating largely within the Ogden City limits. “Law enforcement certainly has an interest in stopping organized crime,” states ACLU of Utah Legal Director Darcy Goddard. “But there is no evidence here or elsewhere that so-called ‘gang injunctions’ are actually effective long-term. Nonetheless, in exchange for the County’s tenuous and unsupported promise of the possibility of ‘reduced crime,’ this injunction criminalizes a wide range of otherwise legal and constitutionally-protected activity, for literally hundreds of people,…

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Brigham City Suspends Enforcement of Free Speech Ordinance: Free Speech For All Returns to Brigham City

13 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

As of yesterday evening, representatives of the Main Street Church have been peacefully handing out their literature on the public sidewalks surrounding the LDS Temple. The Main Street Church agreed to limit the number of its representatives to four on each side of the street. This agreement does not suspend the lawsuit filed against Brigham City. Main Street Church and the ACLU of Utah have not conceded that any past enforcement of the ordinance was constitutional. They also continue to contend that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and that it should be completely struck down by the court.

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Free Speech for All Returns to Brigham City

13 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

Brigham City Suspends Enforcement of Free Speech Ordinance: Free Speech For All Returns to Brigham City FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 13, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— As of 6:30 p.m. today, Brigham City, Utah has agreed not to enforce its “Free Speech Zone Ordinance” that was challenged in federal court just two days ago by the ACLU of Utah, on behalf of Main Street Church of Brigham City. Since 6:30 p.m. today, representatives of the Main Street Church have been peacefully handing out their literature on the public sidewalks surrounding the LDS Temple. The Main Street Church agreed to limit the number of its representatives to four on each side of the street. This agreement does not suspend the lawsuit filed against Brigham City. Main Street Church and the ACLU of Utah have not conceded that any past enforcement of the ordinance was constitutional. They also continue to contend that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and that it should be completely struck down by the court. “We are thrilled that our clients are no longer being banned from public sidewalks merely because they would like to express their views,…

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ACLU of Utah Appeals Ogden's "Gang Injunction" To Utah Supreme Court And Requests Immediate Stay

12 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah, together with cooperating attorneys David Reymann of Parr Brown Gee & Loveless and Randy Richards of Allen, Richards & Pace, today filed a Notice of Appeal in the Second Judicial District Court for Weber County appealing the court’s so-called “gang injunction” to the Utah Supreme Court. The ACLU of Utah also requested that the district court suspend the enforcement of the injunction while the appeal is pending.

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ACLU of Utah Files Complaint Challenging Brigham City's Unconstitutional "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance

11 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Files Complaint Challenging Brigham City's Unconstitutional "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance For Immediate Release September 11, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today, the ACLU of Utah filed a complaint on behalf of the Main Street Church of Brigham City challenging Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance. The suit alleges that on its face, the ordinance violates the Utah and United States Constitutions because it requires a permit for almost any conceivable form of public expression and imposes civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply. This ordinance could subject many unsuspecting people in Brigham City to liability for engaging in activities protected by the First Amendment. Because Brigham City is actively barring Main Street Church from two public sidewalks in the city, Main Street Church has also moved for a temporary restraining order to immediately prohibit Brigham City from continuing to restrict Main Street Church’s First Amendment rights to assembly, free speech, and free exercise of religion in a traditional public forum. The ACLU of Utah believes that Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance turns the entire city into a place where free speech, free assembly and free exercise of religion are prohibited until people are granted a…

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The ACLU of Utah Commemorates the Life of Brian Barnard

04 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah Commemorates the Life of Brian Barnard For Immediate Release: September 4, 2012 Brian’s death is a huge loss to the community. Whenever anyone thinks of a civil rights lawyer in Utah, they think of Brian Barnard. He has stood up for the rights of the marginalized and vulnerable for decades and has been instrumental in moving civil rights forward. Brian worked with the ACLU since the mid-1970s. He has partnered with the ACLU of Utah for nearly 40 years as a cooperating attorney on all manner of civil liberties cases. Brian had a wicked sense of humor, a passion for individual rights, and an unwavering commitment to the protection of the people on the fringes of society whose rights were most frequently under attack. One of his very first Free Speech cases with the ACLU of Utah came in 1975, when he defended a theater owner who showed the film "Deep Throat," and in so doing attacked a vague and overly broad obscenity ordinance that stifled free expression. Brian also worked on ACLU cases related to law enforcement excessive force, jail overcrowding and lack of mental health facilities, school-sanctioned prayer, the rights of protestors and…

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ACLU of Utah Helps Launch Free Deferred Action Workshops for Childhood Arrivals

04 August 2012 Published in Newsroom

The Utah Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), in collaboration with other public interest groups, is sponsoring a series of free workshops throughout Utah to help those eligible for relief from deportation under the recently announced deferred action program. Supporting partners include the ACLU of Utah, Catholic Community Services, Holy Cross Ministries, the Mexican Consulate, SLC Dream Team and Mestizo Arts and Activism.

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ACLU Seeks Details On Automatic License Plate Readers In Massive Nationwide Request

30 July 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Seeks Details On Automatic License Plate Readers In Massive Nationwide Request FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2012 INFORMATION SOUGHT ON HOW CAMERAS ARE USED BY POLICE AGENCIES AND HOW DATA IS STORED SALT LAKE CITY –American Civil Liberties Union affiliates in 35 states, including Utah, sent requests today to local police departments and state agencies that demand information on how they use automatic license plate readers (ALPR) to track and record Americans’ movements. In addition, the ACLU’s national office filed federal Freedom of Information Act requests with the departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Transportation to learn how the federal government funds ALPR expansion nationwide and uses the technology itself. ALPRs are cameras mounted on patrol cars or on stationary objects along roads – such as telephone poles or the underside of bridges –that snap a photograph of every license plate that enters their fields of view. Typically, each photo is time, date, and GPS-stamped, stored, and sent to a database, which provides an alert to a patrol officer whenever a match or “hit” appears. ALPRs are spreading rapidly around the country, but the public has little information about how they are used to track motorists’ movements, including…

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ACLU of Utah Files Amicus Brief In Utah Supreme Court Arguing That Ban On Electronic Signatures In the Initiative Process Is Unconstitutional

19 July 2012 Published in Newsroom

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, along with cooperating attorneys David C. Reymann and Chad R. Derum, filed an amicus curiae brief to the Utah Supreme Court in the case of Utahns for Ethical Government v. Clerks for All Counties in the State of Utah. In its brief, the ACLU of Utah argued that a ban on counting electronic signatures in the initiative process violates the Utah Constitution.

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ACLU of Utah Reaches Out To Davis School District To Discuss Constitutional Requirements

12 June 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Reaches Out To Davis School District To Discuss Constitutional Requirements FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today the ACLU of Utah sent a letter to Superintendent Bryan Bowles of the Davis School District to request a meeting to discuss the constitutional implications of the district’s recent removal of the book “Our Mothers’ House,” by Patricia Polacco, from the shelves of a school in the district. “Federal courts have consistently concluded that the First Amendment protects student access to books in their school libraries, free from limits based on the administration’s disagreement with the viewpoints expressed in the books,” said John Mejia, Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah. “From what we know of the district’s removal of the book, we have serious concerns that the district may have fallen short of these protections.” In the letter, the ACLU of Utah pointed to several cases in which courts have ruled that the First Amendment prevents schools from limiting student access to library materials containing portrayals of LGBTQ people and noted that this situation is factually similar to those cases. The letter further casts doubt on whether the removal of the book is justified by…

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