House destroys 4th amendment
- Thread starter LDB
- Start date
No need to be sorry. You can believe as you like, as can I.
All I know is that they won't be there if the stuff hits the fan. They are far more to the "Dark Side" of life.
I don't want them to "BE" anything. Just quit making themselves out to be something they are not. They are as much for "civil liberty" as Obama is.
They aren't making themselves out to be something they're not. They have very clearly stated positions and goals, and they don't veer from them. It's not a matter of what I believe, it's a matter of actual reality. I don't agree with everything they do, but I gotta respect them for bring so consistent. Kinda like Amonger. 
They aren't making themselves out to be something they're not. They have very clearly stated positions and goals, and they don't veer from them. It's not a matter of what I believe, it's a matter of actual reality. I don't agree with everything they do, but I gotta respect them for bring so consistent. Kinda like Amonger.
They CLAIM they are out to 'protect' the "Civil Liberties" of American's. They do not do that across the board. They "Pick and Choose" what fits THEIR agenda, ONLY.
That's fine, just say it out loud and proud. You and I seem to be talking about different types of consistency. I contend that unless they defend ALL civil liberties, across the board, they are inconsistent. I THINK your take is that they state that they don't believe in our liberties across the board, and stick only to what they want to protect, all the time.
I don't respect ANYONE or ANY GROUP that is opposed to my way of life, my liberties and my freedoms. That INCLUDES the ACLU. In fact, for me and me only, they rank up there, no quite, with Obama and all the other left wing (for lack of a better term) wackos.
Yes, AMonger IS consistent!
So am I, but ONLY in a POSITIVE way of course. 
Left wingers are morons, it is the right wingers that are wacko! Get it right.
I am SO sorry! It's the heat down here. Got WAY past the point where the brain shuts down! I will use the AC from now on to keep my brain cool. The "chip" is so FAST it overheats easy!
IF that is how it must be.
The ACLU is an ultra liberal organization who does not operate at all toward protecting and upholding the Constitution but operates completely toward forwarding their agenda, a small part of which accidentally meshes with the Constitution through no desire or intent of their own. To borrow from another member, the problem with the ACLU's wrong positions and actions is they make the other 5% look bad.
"The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country."
Too bad the above does NOT include those who CHOOSE TO pray in school, display the Ten Commandments in a court room or own a firearm WITHOUT government interference. In other words, stick to the mission as stated. The "mission statement" is from the ACLU page.
Too bad the above does NOT include those who CHOOSE TO pray in school, display the Ten Commandments in a court room or own a firearm WITHOUT government interference. In other words, stick to the mission as stated. The "mission statement" is from the ACLU page.
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Actually, the Internet blackout when SOPA was being considered was one of the main reasons it did not pass then. Legislators saw how adamant the public and Internet vendors were, and backed off. It was considered a success of Internet mobilization that was largely responsible for SOPA not happening.
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
That's what they tell us about voting. To that, I say, "HA!"
The NRA is an ultra conservative organization who does not operate at all toward protecting and upholding the Constitution but operates completely toward forwarding their agenda, a small part of which accidentally meshes with the Constitution through no desire or intent of their own. To borrow from another member, the problem with the NRA's wrong positions and actions is they make the other 5% look bad.
Works for a lot of things, I guess.
The NRA does not claim to protect the individual rights and liberties of all Americans.
Their mission is primarily to insure a steady stream of well trained riflemen to help defend the Nation.
They train, all kinds, a wide range of ages and occupations in firearms and firearms safety.
They also, to some degree, try to defend our Second Amendment rights. Which they do sorta do. More so than the ACLU defends the rights of prayer in school.
Their mission is primarily to insure a steady stream of well trained riflemen to help defend the Nation.
They train, all kinds, a wide range of ages and occupations in firearms and firearms safety.
They also, to some degree, try to defend our Second Amendment rights. Which they do sorta do. More so than the ACLU defends the rights of prayer in school.
First of all, your argument with prayer in schools is with the Supreme Court, not the ACLU. Secondly, while the NRA is zeroed in on a certain area of the Constitution, so is the ACLU. Their "mission statement" that isn't a mission statement that you quoted, but left out the context of that statement, only applies within the context of the areas they concentrate on. They state it right there that the rights they are talking about "include" certain rights, and they never once even hint that they are there to protect each and every civil liberty mentioned in the Constitution. Like I said, they aren't what you want them to be, but they aren't what you're trying to make them out to be, either. Their position is a strict separation of church and state, not the right of prayer in school. They are what they are, and no amount of complaining about them is going to make me see them for something they're not.
In addition, from their Web site, this is there mission statement and their purpose. It states very plainly the context and scope of their efforts.
Notice that's it's almost totally First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment issues. Nothing else.
Last edited:
The ACLU is a mostly evil organization pursuing positions and actions that are against the majority of citizens. Just like the blind squirrel they once in a while get it right. That's by far the exception. You can see them any way you want to see them though. That is your right, which they may or may not support at any given time.
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
You know ... nah ... you ain't worth it ... and the fact of the matter is after the follow-ups to this post, there really isn't any necessity for me to actually say it ...
Though I do guess the really ironic thing is that when searching for the above, you probably weren't but a click away from what follows below:
The ACLU vigorously defends the rights of all Americans to practice their religion. But because the ACLU is often better known for its work preventing the government from promoting and funding selected religious activities, it is sometimes wrongly assumed that the ACLU does not zealously defend the rights of all religious believers to practice their faith. The actions described below – over half of which were brought on behalf of self-identified Christians, with the remaining cases defending the rights of a wide range of minority faiths – reveal just how mistaken such assumptions are. (The list below includes examples from the past decade only.)
* * * *
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2012) filed a brief in support of a fifth grader's right to share her religious beliefs with classmates by distributing invitations to a Christmas party hosted by a local church.
http://www.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/121728p.pdf
The ACLU of Virginia (2012) represented four Sikh men challenging a law that allows ordained ministers to receive a license to perform marriages without posting a bond, but requires representatives of religions that have no ordained ministers, like Sikhism, to post a $500 bond.
https://acluva.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/InReSingh_petitionersbrief.pdf
The ACLU of Louisiana (2012) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a member of Raven Ministries, a Christian congregation that regularly preaches the Gospel in New Orleans's French Quarter. The lawsuit challenged a city ordinance that restricts religious speech on Bourbon Street after dark. As a result of the lawsuit, a federal judge issued an order that blocks enforcement of the law.
Judge halts restriction on Bourbon Street preaching | Home | The Advocate ? Baton Rouge, LA
The ACLU of Michigan (2012) successfully represented Muslim and Seventh-Day Adventist prisoners in a religious class action challenging two Michigan Department of Corrections policies: one which accommodated Jewish inmates by providing kosher meals while denying Muslim inmates halal meals, while the other failed to excuse inmates from their prison jobs on the Sabbath.
Legal Dockets | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of Virginia (2012 and 2010) opposed bans on students' right to wear rosary beads at two public middle schools. The schools dropped the bans after receiving letters from the ACLU.
Letter to Matacoa Middle School | American Civil Liberties Union
Letter to Fairfield Middle School | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Utah (2012) filed a lawsuit on behalf of members of the Main Street Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Brigham City, who were denied access to certain city streets for the purpose of handing out religious literature. An agreement was reached with the city allowing church members to distribute their literature.
Topic Galleries -- chicagotribune.com
The ACLU of New Mexico (2012) filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Christian street preachers who were arrested multiple times for exercising their First Amendment rights by preaching in public.
ACLU Sues Roswell for Violating Christian Preachers? Right to Free Speech - American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2012) filed a brief in support of an observant Jewish prisoner's right to receive kosher meals.
Moussazadeh v. TDCJ - Amicus Brief | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Texas (2011) opposed a public high school's policy prohibiting students from wearing visible rosaries and crosses in the Brownsville Independent School District.
http://www.aclutx.org/2011/11/18/ac...icies-banning-rosaries-and-crosses-at-school/
The ACLU of Nebraska (2011) opposed a policy at Fremont Public School that would prevent students from wearing Catholic rosaries to school.
That gang of nuns looks pretty dangerous
The ACLU of Texas (2011) filed a brief in support of students in the Plano school district who wanted to include Christian messages in their holiday gift bags.
http://www.aclutx.org/blog/?p=706
The ACLU of Virginia (2011) defended the free religious expression of a group of Christian athletes in Floyd County High School who had copies of the Ten Commandments removed from their personal lockers.
Home - WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg Va
The ACLU and the ACLU of Southern California (2011) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Sikh inmate who has faced multiple disciplinary sanctions for refusing to trim his beard on religious grounds. Keeping unshorn hair is one of the central tenets of the Sikh faith.
ACLU Files Lawsuit On Behalf Of California Inmate Subjected To Baseless Religious Discrimination | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Connecticut (2011) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Naval officer who sought recognition as a conscientious objector because of his Christian convictions against war. After a period of intense religious study, reflection, and prayer, he had come to realize that his religious beliefs were in conflict with his military service. The officer's request was subsequently granted and he received an honorable discharge.
Naval Officer Wins CO Discharge :: American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/nyregion/23objector.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=ACLU&st=cse
The ACLU of Southern California (2011) filed a lawsuit against the FBI alleging that an agent had infiltrated a California mosque and violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of Muslims by targeting them for surveillance because of their religion.
ACLU/SC, CAIR and Hadsell Stormer Keeny Richardson & Renick LLP Sue FBI for Illegal Surveillance in the Muslim Community | ACLU of Southern California
Lawsuit alleges FBI violated Muslims' freedom of religion
The ACLU of Colorado (2010) supported the rights of students in Colorado Springs School District 11 to wear crosses, rosaries, and other religious symbols. A middle school had announced a policy forbidding students from wearing certain Christian symbols unless they were worn underneath their clothing.
ACLU Supports Students' Right of Religious Freedom | ACLU - Colorado
The ACLU and the ACLU of Kentucky (2010) appealed the denial of a zoning permit for a Muslim prayer space in Mayfield. After ACLU involvement, the permit was granted.
Muslim Prayer Space Granted Permit In Kentucky | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties (2010) wrote a letter in support of a church in El Centro, California, that was prohibited from relocating to a building in the downtown district.
http://www.aclusandiego.org/news_item.php?article_id=001086
The ACLU of Washington (2010) sued the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma, Washington, for religious discrimination against two Muslims who were forbidden from participating in group prayer, denied dietary accommodations, and refused religious clothing.
Two men sue Pierce County, claiming jail discriminates against Muslims | Lights & Sirens - The News Tribune
The ACLU and the ACLU of Georgia (2010) sued the City of Douglasville on behalf of a devout Muslim woman who was restrained, arrested, and jailed for several hours after refusing to remove her religious head covering.
ACLU Files Lawsuit On Behalf Of Muslim Woman Forced To Remove Head Covering In Georgia Courthouse | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Florida (2010) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local homeless ministry, the First Vagabonds Church of God, challenging an Orlando ordinance that prohibits service of food to groups in the same public park more than twice per year. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit eventually enjoined the city from enforcing the ordinance, allowing the church to resume providing food to the homeless.
http://www.aclufl.org/news_events/?action=viewRelease&emailAlertID=3668
Homeless advocates win new hearing in Lake Eola park-feeding case - Orlando Sentinel
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2010) filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a Texas state prisoner seeking damages after prison officials denied him the opportunity to participate in Christian worship services.
Christian Prisoner Entitled To Seek Monetary Damages For Violation Of His Religious Rights, Says ACLU | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Alaska (2010) advised the Alaska Department of Education to respect the religious freedom of Russian Old Believer families by arranging alternate testing dates for the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam, which conflicts with Holy Week for Russian Old Believer students. Students may now take the test on different testing dates.
http://www.akclu.org/NewsEvents/High-School-Qualifying-Exam-Testing-10-02-17.pdf
The ACLU and the ACLU of Maryland (2010) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on behalf of Steven Kanai, a conscientious objector who self-identified as a Christian but also found meaning in the non-violent and compassionate teachings of Buddhism. http://www.blhny.com/docs/Kanai AmicusBrief for ACLU ACLU MD.pdf
The ACLU of Maryland (2010) came to the defense of a practicing Muslim woman who was denied a foster care license simply because she does not allow pork products in her home. The woman was fully qualified and made clear that she allows foster children to worship as they please.
Pork?or Parents? | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU, its national chapter in Puerto Rico, and its affiliates in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (2010) filed a friend-of-the-court brief opposing restrictive laws that effectively ban Jehovah's Witnesses from freely expressing their faith on the streets of Puerto Rico. The brief supports a challenge by the Witnesses to Puerto Rico statutes authorizing local neighborhoods to deny citizens access to public residential streets.
ACLU Brief Affirms Right Of Jehovah's Witnesses To Carry Out Public Ministry | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Arizona (2010) successfully challenged a Maricopa County policy restricting religious head coverings worn by detainees and inmates in county custody. The ACLU of Arizona brought the case on behalf of a Muslim woman who was denied the right to wear a head scarf while detained by the Maricopa County Sherriff's Office. MCSO now allows Muslim women to wear head scarves during the intake and booking process after a brief initial search.
http://www.acluaz.org/press_releases/2_4_10.html
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties (2009) wrote a letter in support of a family's right to host a home bible study after the family was cited for violating a county zoning code.
San Diego Couple Should Be Free to Host Bible Study Sessions | ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
The Maine Civil Liberties Union (2009) filed suit against the City of Portland on behalf of the Portland Masjid and Islamic Center, a group of Muslims seeking to use a former television repair shop they had purchased for prayer services and religious study. In response, Portland amended its land-use ordinance, and the Portland Planning Board granted approval to the project. The new mosque will primarily serve as a religious and cultural center for Muslim families who came to this country from Afghanistan fleeing religious persecution following invasion of their country by the Soviet Union. A Mosque in Maine | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Maryland (2009) successfully settled a lawsuit on behalf of a Christian ministry for the homeless in the town of Elkton, Maryland, which had purchased a site for a religious day center to help the local community through job training, food, showers, and religious services. Though the site is legally zoned for the use of churches and centers that provide those services, the zoning board had refused to recognize the religious nature of the center, placing unreasonable limitations on the ministry. The ACLU of Maryland reached a favorable settlement with the town, affirming the church's right to operate its day center for the homeless.
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
The ACLU and the ACLU of the National Capital Area (2009) filed suit on behalf of a young Quaker whose religious beliefs prevent him from registering for the draft without some official way to record his claim of conscientious objection in the registration process. He is a birthright Quaker and does not believe that he can offer himself as a candidate for the military.
Quaker Sues U.S. for Recognition of Conscientious Objector Status
The ACLU and the ACLU of New Jersey (2009) filed a successful lawsuit on behalf of a New Jersey prisoner – an ordained Pentecostal minister – to restore his fundamental right to preach to other inmates. The minister had preached at weekly Christian worship services at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey for more than a decade when prison officials suddenly banned that activity without any justification. As a result of the ACLU lawsuit, state officials agreed to allow the minister to resume preaching and teaching Bible study classes under the supervision of prison staff.
Ordained Pentecostal Minister Can Preach In Prison After ACLU Lawsuit | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Florida (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of two families from the Dove World Outreach Center, defending their constitutional right to express themselves in public school with t-shirts stating, "Islam is of the devil." The suit claims that the school has been inconsistent in enforcing restrictions on free speech.
ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal district court on behalf of two families from Dove World Outreach Center whose children were not allowed to wear "Islam is of the Devil" T-shirts. | Gainesville.com
The ACLU of Michigan (2009) filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the First Baptist Church of Ferndale after local residents cited a zoning ordinance to prevent the church from providing social services to the poor and homeless on church property. The ACLU argued that zoning boards may not burden the free exercise of religion simply because neighbors object. The Oakland County Circuit Court denied the request of the residents, allowing the church to continue providing services.
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2009/09/25/news/srv0000006478506.txt
The ACLU of Tennessee (2009) came to the defense of a group of student teachers who conduct church services with the homeless in a public park. The ACLU successfully negotiated with the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation to revise a policy that had unfairly blocked religious groups' regular use of park space.
ACLU-TN Successfully Advocates On Behalf Of Student Preachers | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Virginia (2009) argued against the censorship of religious materials being sent to detainees in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. The ACLU wrote a letter to the superintendent of the jail, asking that the jail stop removing Christian-themed materials and biblical passages from letters written to detainees. As a result of ACLU involvement, the prison agreed to change its policies and allow religious mail. ACLU Seeks End To Censorship Of Religious Material By Virginia Jail | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Michigan (2009) submitted a comment and testified before the Michigan Supreme Court on a proposed court rule that would give judges the discretion to bar women who wear religious veils, or niqabs, from testifying. The ACLU argued that denying women their day in court because of their religious dress violated the Michigan Constitution's Religious Freedom Clause.
Court Rule Would Unconstitutionally Deny Muslim Women Access to Justice, ACLU and Allies Tell Court | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of Louisiana (2009) argued for the right of Christian preachers to distribute pamphlets at the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. The ACLU wrote a letter to the mayor in support of the preachers, who had been ordered to stop handing out religious material. Thetowntalk - Before 'I do,' Cynthia Nixon fights for 'I can'
The ACLU of Louisiana (2009) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Donald Leger, a devout Catholic and prisoner on death row at Angola State Prison. The lawsuit challenged a prison policy mandating that all televisions on death row be tuned to predominately Baptist programming on Sunday mornings. Under the terms of a settlement in the case, Mr. Leger was able to view Catholic Mass regularly and was permitted private confessional visits with a priest.
http://www.laaclu.org/newsArchive.php?id=342#n342
The ACLU of Texas (2009) filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Christian pastor and his faith-based rehabilitation facility in Sinton, Texas. The ACLU urged the court to reverse a decision that had prohibited the pastor from operating his rehabilitation program near his church and also had sharply limited the reach of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In June 2009, the Texas Supreme Court agreed and ruled in favor of the pastor. http://aclutx.org/article.php?aid=726
The ACLU of Maryland (2009) filed discrimination charges with the E.E.O.C. on behalf of three Orthodox medics who were told that they could not ride on calls with the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company (PVFC) unless they shaved their religiously required beards. The PVFC claimed that the beards might prevent the medics from wearing specialized safety masks that the PVFC hopes to purchase in the future.
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
The ACLU of Georgia (2009) drafted a policy that was adopted by the Georgia Judicial Council, the policy-making body for Georgia courts, which clarified that religious head coverings can be worn in Georgia courthouses.The ACLU of Georgia advocated for the adoption of this policy after learning about troubling reports of incidents at the Douglasville Municipal Court, where Muslim women were faced with the choice of removing their headscarves or being barred from the courtroom.
News : Archives July 2009 :: ACLU of Georgia
The ACLU of Delaware (2009) represented the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware in a threatened eviction action against a congregation that was meeting in an elementary school on Sunday mornings. Because the school district permitted a wide variety of other groups to use its facilities, the ACLU wrote to the school district explaining that, as a general rule, public buildings must be made available to religious groups on the same terms that they are made available to the general public. In January 2009, the parties reached an amicable resolution permitting the church to continue using the facilities.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Shenkel United Church of Christ, objecting to North Coventry Township's refusal to allow the church to house homeless people for one month out of the year. The case is similar to several earlier actions brought by the ACLU on behalf of churches in the Pennsylvania towns of Brookville and Munhall.
ACLU Defends Church Prevented From Providing Shelter for the Homeless :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
Court Showdown Averted as Town Allows Homeless Ministry to Resume Operations :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
The ACLU of Arizona (2009) filed a case on behalf of a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab during booking and overnight detention at the Maricopa County intake jail.
The ACLU of Kentucky (2009) represented several members of the Swartzentruber Amish, an Old Order Amish sect, in an attempt to overturn their criminal convictions for failing to display slow-moving vehicle emblems on their horse-drawn buggies. The Swartzentruber Amish object to displaying the emblems because they perceive them as worldly symbols that are to be avoided.
The ACLU of the National Capital Area (2009) brought suit on behalf of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish firefighters and paramedics who wear beards as a matter of religious observance. The district court agreed with the ACLU that the District of Columbia's policy prohibiting these individuals from wearing beards violated their religious freedom rights, and the Court of Appeals affirmed in 2009.
USCA-DC Opinions - Search - 07-7163-1168865.pdf
The ACLU of Arizona (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office detention officer who was demoted and eventually forced to leave for failing to abandon his practice of wearing a beard in accordance with his Muslim faith.
http://www.acluaz.org/press_releases/5_29_09.html
The ACLU of Michigan (2008) filed a successful lawsuit on behalf of a Benton Harbor minister who was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for writing an article both criticizing the judge and predicting what God might do to the judge who presided over his case – actions protected by the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and religious expression.
ACLU Declares Victory for Minister Sentenced to Prison for Criticizing Judge | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of Southern California (2008) filed suit on behalf of members of a faith-based charity organization after park rangers threatened to arrest the members for serving hot meals and distributing Bibles to the homeless on Doheny State Beach.
Protecting The Rights Of Those Who Feed The Poor | ACLU of Southern California
The ACLU of Louisiana (2008) filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit supporting an individual's right to quote Bible verses on public streets in Zachary, Louisiana.
http://www.laaclu.org/News/2008/NetherlandAmicus060408.html
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2008) filed several declaratory judgment actions to confirm the validity of marriages performed by clergy who do not regularly preach in a church or to a congregation.
The ACLU of North Carolina (2008) assisted an individual who had been banned from riding the bus in Raleigh for reading his Bible aloud. As a result of the ACLU's intervention, he was permitted back on the bus system.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2008) filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Texas Supreme Court in support of mothers who had been separated from their children by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The DFPS seized more than 450 children from their homes in Eldorado, Texas, following vague allegations about child abuse by some members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While fully supporting the state's commitment to protecting children from abuse, the ACLU argued that Texas law and the U.S. Constitution required that the children be returned unless the state could provide the requisite evidence of abuse. In May 2008, the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled, consistent with the ACLU position, that the state must return the children to their homes pending further investigation of allegations of abuse.
ACLU Submits Brief In Texas FLDS Case Saying State Can't Separate Families Based Solely On Beliefs | American Civil Liberties Union
Judge Orders Children Returned To Their Families | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Wyoming (2008) represented a Wyoming prisoner who was prevented from possessing bald eagle feathers, the single most sacred religious symbol of his Native American tribe.
ACLU To Fight For Religious Freedom Of American Indian Incarcerated In Wyoming | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Eastern Missouri (2008) sued the City of Poplar Bluff after the City's public library disciplined a part-time employee who objected to participating in the promotion of a Harry Potter book. The employee, a devout Southern Baptist, had religious objections to the promotion, which she believed encouraged children to worship the occult. The lawsuit argued that the city violated federal law by refusing to accommodate her sincerely held religious beliefs.
Smith v. Thomas, et al. :: American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri
The ACLU of Delaware (2008) came to the defense of a Muslim nurse who was told she could not wear her religious head covering to work at the New Castle County Detention Center. After the ACLU's intervention in the matter, the nurse received her requested religious accommodation.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2008) came to the defense of a five-year-old Native American boy who was forced into in-school suspension for wearing long braids as an expression of his religious beliefs and cultural heritage. A federal judge ruled that this policy violated the U.S. Constitution and state law, and the school district was required to provide the child an exemption from its restrictive dress code. The case is now on appeal.
http://www.aclutx.org/article.php?aid=672
San Diego Couple Should Be Free to Host Bible Study Sessions | ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
The Maine Civil Liberties Union (2009) filed suit against the City of Portland on behalf of the Portland Masjid and Islamic Center, a group of Muslims seeking to use a former television repair shop they had purchased for prayer services and religious study. In response, Portland amended its land-use ordinance, and the Portland Planning Board granted approval to the project. The new mosque will primarily serve as a religious and cultural center for Muslim families who came to this country from Afghanistan fleeing religious persecution following invasion of their country by the Soviet Union. A Mosque in Maine | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Maryland (2009) successfully settled a lawsuit on behalf of a Christian ministry for the homeless in the town of Elkton, Maryland, which had purchased a site for a religious day center to help the local community through job training, food, showers, and religious services. Though the site is legally zoned for the use of churches and centers that provide those services, the zoning board had refused to recognize the religious nature of the center, placing unreasonable limitations on the ministry. The ACLU of Maryland reached a favorable settlement with the town, affirming the church's right to operate its day center for the homeless.
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
The ACLU and the ACLU of the National Capital Area (2009) filed suit on behalf of a young Quaker whose religious beliefs prevent him from registering for the draft without some official way to record his claim of conscientious objection in the registration process. He is a birthright Quaker and does not believe that he can offer himself as a candidate for the military.
Quaker Sues U.S. for Recognition of Conscientious Objector Status
The ACLU and the ACLU of New Jersey (2009) filed a successful lawsuit on behalf of a New Jersey prisoner – an ordained Pentecostal minister – to restore his fundamental right to preach to other inmates. The minister had preached at weekly Christian worship services at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey for more than a decade when prison officials suddenly banned that activity without any justification. As a result of the ACLU lawsuit, state officials agreed to allow the minister to resume preaching and teaching Bible study classes under the supervision of prison staff.
Ordained Pentecostal Minister Can Preach In Prison After ACLU Lawsuit | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Florida (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of two families from the Dove World Outreach Center, defending their constitutional right to express themselves in public school with t-shirts stating, "Islam is of the devil." The suit claims that the school has been inconsistent in enforcing restrictions on free speech.
ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal district court on behalf of two families from Dove World Outreach Center whose children were not allowed to wear "Islam is of the Devil" T-shirts. | Gainesville.com
The ACLU of Michigan (2009) filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the First Baptist Church of Ferndale after local residents cited a zoning ordinance to prevent the church from providing social services to the poor and homeless on church property. The ACLU argued that zoning boards may not burden the free exercise of religion simply because neighbors object. The Oakland County Circuit Court denied the request of the residents, allowing the church to continue providing services.
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2009/09/25/news/srv0000006478506.txt
The ACLU of Tennessee (2009) came to the defense of a group of student teachers who conduct church services with the homeless in a public park. The ACLU successfully negotiated with the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation to revise a policy that had unfairly blocked religious groups' regular use of park space.
ACLU-TN Successfully Advocates On Behalf Of Student Preachers | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Virginia (2009) argued against the censorship of religious materials being sent to detainees in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. The ACLU wrote a letter to the superintendent of the jail, asking that the jail stop removing Christian-themed materials and biblical passages from letters written to detainees. As a result of ACLU involvement, the prison agreed to change its policies and allow religious mail. ACLU Seeks End To Censorship Of Religious Material By Virginia Jail | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Michigan (2009) submitted a comment and testified before the Michigan Supreme Court on a proposed court rule that would give judges the discretion to bar women who wear religious veils, or niqabs, from testifying. The ACLU argued that denying women their day in court because of their religious dress violated the Michigan Constitution's Religious Freedom Clause.
Court Rule Would Unconstitutionally Deny Muslim Women Access to Justice, ACLU and Allies Tell Court | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of Louisiana (2009) argued for the right of Christian preachers to distribute pamphlets at the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. The ACLU wrote a letter to the mayor in support of the preachers, who had been ordered to stop handing out religious material. Thetowntalk - Before 'I do,' Cynthia Nixon fights for 'I can'
The ACLU of Louisiana (2009) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Donald Leger, a devout Catholic and prisoner on death row at Angola State Prison. The lawsuit challenged a prison policy mandating that all televisions on death row be tuned to predominately Baptist programming on Sunday mornings. Under the terms of a settlement in the case, Mr. Leger was able to view Catholic Mass regularly and was permitted private confessional visits with a priest.
http://www.laaclu.org/newsArchive.php?id=342#n342
The ACLU of Texas (2009) filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Christian pastor and his faith-based rehabilitation facility in Sinton, Texas. The ACLU urged the court to reverse a decision that had prohibited the pastor from operating his rehabilitation program near his church and also had sharply limited the reach of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In June 2009, the Texas Supreme Court agreed and ruled in favor of the pastor. http://aclutx.org/article.php?aid=726
The ACLU of Maryland (2009) filed discrimination charges with the E.E.O.C. on behalf of three Orthodox medics who were told that they could not ride on calls with the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company (PVFC) unless they shaved their religiously required beards. The PVFC claimed that the beards might prevent the medics from wearing specialized safety masks that the PVFC hopes to purchase in the future.
ACLU of Maryland (ACLU-MD)
The ACLU of Georgia (2009) drafted a policy that was adopted by the Georgia Judicial Council, the policy-making body for Georgia courts, which clarified that religious head coverings can be worn in Georgia courthouses.The ACLU of Georgia advocated for the adoption of this policy after learning about troubling reports of incidents at the Douglasville Municipal Court, where Muslim women were faced with the choice of removing their headscarves or being barred from the courtroom.
News : Archives July 2009 :: ACLU of Georgia
The ACLU of Delaware (2009) represented the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware in a threatened eviction action against a congregation that was meeting in an elementary school on Sunday mornings. Because the school district permitted a wide variety of other groups to use its facilities, the ACLU wrote to the school district explaining that, as a general rule, public buildings must be made available to religious groups on the same terms that they are made available to the general public. In January 2009, the parties reached an amicable resolution permitting the church to continue using the facilities.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Shenkel United Church of Christ, objecting to North Coventry Township's refusal to allow the church to house homeless people for one month out of the year. The case is similar to several earlier actions brought by the ACLU on behalf of churches in the Pennsylvania towns of Brookville and Munhall.
ACLU Defends Church Prevented From Providing Shelter for the Homeless :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
Court Showdown Averted as Town Allows Homeless Ministry to Resume Operations :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
The ACLU of Arizona (2009) filed a case on behalf of a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab during booking and overnight detention at the Maricopa County intake jail.
The ACLU of Kentucky (2009) represented several members of the Swartzentruber Amish, an Old Order Amish sect, in an attempt to overturn their criminal convictions for failing to display slow-moving vehicle emblems on their horse-drawn buggies. The Swartzentruber Amish object to displaying the emblems because they perceive them as worldly symbols that are to be avoided.
The ACLU of the National Capital Area (2009) brought suit on behalf of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish firefighters and paramedics who wear beards as a matter of religious observance. The district court agreed with the ACLU that the District of Columbia's policy prohibiting these individuals from wearing beards violated their religious freedom rights, and the Court of Appeals affirmed in 2009.
USCA-DC Opinions - Search - 07-7163-1168865.pdf
The ACLU of Arizona (2009) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office detention officer who was demoted and eventually forced to leave for failing to abandon his practice of wearing a beard in accordance with his Muslim faith.
http://www.acluaz.org/press_releases/5_29_09.html
The ACLU of Michigan (2008) filed a successful lawsuit on behalf of a Benton Harbor minister who was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for writing an article both criticizing the judge and predicting what God might do to the judge who presided over his case – actions protected by the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and religious expression.
ACLU Declares Victory for Minister Sentenced to Prison for Criticizing Judge | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of Southern California (2008) filed suit on behalf of members of a faith-based charity organization after park rangers threatened to arrest the members for serving hot meals and distributing Bibles to the homeless on Doheny State Beach.
Protecting The Rights Of Those Who Feed The Poor | ACLU of Southern California
The ACLU of Louisiana (2008) filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit supporting an individual's right to quote Bible verses on public streets in Zachary, Louisiana.
http://www.laaclu.org/News/2008/NetherlandAmicus060408.html
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2008) filed several declaratory judgment actions to confirm the validity of marriages performed by clergy who do not regularly preach in a church or to a congregation.
The ACLU of North Carolina (2008) assisted an individual who had been banned from riding the bus in Raleigh for reading his Bible aloud. As a result of the ACLU's intervention, he was permitted back on the bus system.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2008) filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Texas Supreme Court in support of mothers who had been separated from their children by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The DFPS seized more than 450 children from their homes in Eldorado, Texas, following vague allegations about child abuse by some members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While fully supporting the state's commitment to protecting children from abuse, the ACLU argued that Texas law and the U.S. Constitution required that the children be returned unless the state could provide the requisite evidence of abuse. In May 2008, the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled, consistent with the ACLU position, that the state must return the children to their homes pending further investigation of allegations of abuse.
ACLU Submits Brief In Texas FLDS Case Saying State Can't Separate Families Based Solely On Beliefs | American Civil Liberties Union
Judge Orders Children Returned To Their Families | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Wyoming (2008) represented a Wyoming prisoner who was prevented from possessing bald eagle feathers, the single most sacred religious symbol of his Native American tribe.
ACLU To Fight For Religious Freedom Of American Indian Incarcerated In Wyoming | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Eastern Missouri (2008) sued the City of Poplar Bluff after the City's public library disciplined a part-time employee who objected to participating in the promotion of a Harry Potter book. The employee, a devout Southern Baptist, had religious objections to the promotion, which she believed encouraged children to worship the occult. The lawsuit argued that the city violated federal law by refusing to accommodate her sincerely held religious beliefs.
Smith v. Thomas, et al. :: American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri
The ACLU of Delaware (2008) came to the defense of a Muslim nurse who was told she could not wear her religious head covering to work at the New Castle County Detention Center. After the ACLU's intervention in the matter, the nurse received her requested religious accommodation.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas (2008) came to the defense of a five-year-old Native American boy who was forced into in-school suspension for wearing long braids as an expression of his religious beliefs and cultural heritage. A federal judge ruled that this policy violated the U.S. Constitution and state law, and the school district was required to provide the child an exemption from its restrictive dress code. The case is now on appeal.
http://www.aclutx.org/article.php?aid=672
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
The ACLU of Florida (2007) argued in favor of the right of Christians to protest against a gay pride event held in the City of St. Petersburg. The city had proposed limiting opposition speech, including speech motivated by religious beliefs, to restricted "free speech zones." After receiving the ACLU's letter, the city revised its proposed ordinance.
http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/StPeteLetter.pdf
The ACLU of Oregon (2007) defended the right of students at a private religious school not to be pressured to violate their Sabbath day by playing in a state basketball tournament. The Oregon School Activities Association scheduled state tournament games on Saturdays, the recognized Sabbath of students and faculty of the Portland Adventist Academy. The ACLU argued that the school's team, having successfully made it to the tournament, should not be required to violate their religious beliefs in order to participate.
Nakashima v. Board of Education | ACLU of Oregon
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) came to the defense of a Jewish law student who needed to reschedule the first day of her bar exam because of a conflict with a day of religious observance. After a letter from the ACLU, she was granted the requested religious accommodation.
The ACLU of Texas (2007) represented a Texas man who was ordered out of the courtroom by a Justice of the Peace and threatened with arrest when he refused to remove his turban – worn in accordance with his Sikh faith – while defending himself against a traffic citation.
http://www.aclutx.org/chapters/article.php?aid=506&cid=6
The ACLU of Michigan (2007) filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Old Redford Academy, a public charter school in Detroit, for violating a ninth grade student's right to wear his hair long in accordance with a verse in Leviticus. Despite the religious basis for his long hair, the school suspended him and referred him for expulsion for violating its "closely cropped" hair policy. The judge issued an injunction ordering the Academy to let the student return to school.
ACLU Applauds School's Decision to Grant Religious Accommodation to Student | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of West Virginia (2007) sued on behalf of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) university student who won a prestigious scholarship to West Virginia University. Although the state scholarship board provided leaves of absence for military, medical, and family reasons, it denied the ACLU's client a leave of absence to serve on a two-year mission for his church. ACLU-WV: press release 07/19/07
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) challenged a North Carolina Department of Corrections policy making all religious services in prison English-only, thereby denying access to many inmates. The North Carolina Division of Prisons agreed to review the policy and the need for religious services in languages other than English in the state correctional system.
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) defended the rights of prisoners in the Teller County Jail to receive a proper diet consistent with their religion. After jail officials determined that prisoners would not have "certain religious articles or diets," the ACLU wrote a letter of inquiry which resulted in a revision of the jail's policy to allow for religious accommodation.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2007) came to the defense of a second-grade student who, in response to a class assignment to write a story, submitted a story about Easter and redemption. After the teacher rejected the submission because of its religious content, the ACLU wrote a letter to the school on the student's behalf. The principal and teacher subsequently apologized, and the principal agreed to instruct his teachers on the law.
The ACLU of New Jersey (2007) defended the right of an elementary school student who was prohibited from singing "Awesome God" in a voluntary after-school talent show for which students selected their own material. The ACLU submitted a friend-of-the-court brief. After a favorable settlement was reached for the student, the federal lawsuit was dismissed.
ACLU of New Jersey Defends Second-Grader's Right to Sing Religious Song | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Pennsylvania (2007) prevailed in their case on behalf of an Egyptian Coptic Christian who had been detained and who claimed he had been tortured by the Egyptian government because he refused to convert to Islam. After permitting Sameh Khouzam to stay in the United States for nine years based on evidence that he would probably be tortured if he returned to Egypt, the U.S. government changed its position in 2007 and sought to deport Mr. Khouzam based on diplomatic assurances from the Egyptian government that Mr. Khouzam would not be tortured upon return. As a result of the ACLU's advocacy, a federal court granted Mr. Khouzam an indefinite stay of deportation to Egypt. Court rejects government's attempt to deport Egyptian to torture :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) wrote a letter to the Dismas Charities Community Correction Center on behalf of a former resident who was told he could not drink wine during communion services while confined at the Center. After the ACLU advised the Center of its obligations under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, the Center revised its communion policy to comply with federal law.
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) came to the defense of a Seventh-Day Adventist who was being refused a religious diet in prison. After the ACLU communicated with prison authorities on the prisoner's behalf, the diet was provided.
http://www.aclu-co.org/docket/Advocacy/2006/06.1021.wise.htm
The ACLU of Georgia (2007) filed a federal lawsuit to help obtain a zoning permit for a house of worship on behalf of the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church after the city of East Point denied the request. The city has since repealed the ordinance and churches are now allowed to occupy buildings that were previously used for commercial purposes.
ACLU of Georgia and Baptist Church File Religious Discrimination Lawsuit | American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.acluga.org/press.releases/0707/church.east.point.html
The ACLU of Delaware (2007) prevailed in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Christians, pagans, and Wiccans, alleging that a department store violated a Delaware public accommodations law by canceling community courses after individuals complained about the religious beliefs that were being taught in the centers.
The ACLU of Eastern Missouri (2007) represented Shirley L. Phelps-Roper, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, whose religious beliefs led her to condemn homosexuality as a sin and insist that God is punishing the United States. The protests in which she has been involved have been confrontational and have involved funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq. While the ACLU does not endorse her message, it does believe that she has both religious and free-speech rights to express her viewpoint criticizing homosexuality. The Supreme Court recently refused to overturn a court of appeals decision in Phelps-Roper's favor.
ACLU of Eastern Missouri Challenges Law Banning Pickets and Protests One Hour Before or After a Funeral | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) assisted with the naturalization of a Jehovah's Witness who was originally denied citizenship based on his conscientious refusal to swear an oath that he would be willing to bear arms on behalf of the country.
The ACLU of Rhode Island (2007) prevailed in its arguments on behalf of a Christian inmate, Wesley Spratt, who had been preaching in prison for over seven years before administrators told him to stop based on vague and unsubstantiated security concerns. After the ACLU prevailed in the Court of Appeals, the parties reached a settlement under which Mr. Spratt is free to preach again.
Providence Journal | Rhode Island news, sports, weather & more
The ACLU and the ACLU of Southern California (2007) filed suit on behalf of Jameelah Medina, a Muslim woman who was forced by local deputies to remove her religious head covering while she was in custody in San Bernardino County's West Valley Detention Center. Despite her repeated requests to keep her head covered during her day-long incarceration, Medina was forced to remove her hijab in the presence of men she did not know and to remain uncovered for much of the day. In October 2008, the county agreed to adopt a policy accommodating the right of Muslim women to wear headscarves in accordance with their religious beliefs.
Medina v. County of San Bernardino | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) won its lawsuit against the state of North Carolina to permit witnesses at trial to take oaths on the religious scriptures of their own religious beliefs (in this case, Islam) rather than on those approved by the state. ACLU of North Carolina Applauds Court Ruling Preventing Religious Discrimination in the Courtroom | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Southern California (2007) represents Calvin Chee Keong Lee, a Buddhist-Taoist conscientious objector who enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after arriving in the United States from Malaysia. Currently stationed in Ft. Irwin, California and scheduled for imminent deployment to Iraq, Lee sought discharge from the Army based on his religious beliefs, which compel him not to kill or cause injury to others. When he enlisted, Lee believed that he would be able to remain in his civilian construction job.
Ft. Irwin Man Sues for Conscientious Objector Status | ACLU of Southern California
The ACLU (2007) argued that veterans and their families should be able to decide for themselves which religious symbol is placed on a deceased veteran's headstone at federal cemeteries. The ACLU challenged the constitutionality of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policy that had restricted religious symbols only to those that had been approved by government officials. The Department of Veterans Affairs settled the case by agreeing to allow a Wiccan symbol to be included on the plaintiffs' loved ones' military headstones.
Veterans Denied Right to Post Religious Symbol on Headstones, ACLU Charges | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of West Virginia and the ACLU of the National Capital Area (2007) represented a Muslim Iranian-American couple, both of whom were terminated from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) because of their religion and without due process. The ACLU negotiated an agreement with NIOSH under which the husband and wife were reinstated to their previous positions with back pay, benefits, and damages.
ACLU-WV: press release 10/20/06
Untitled Document
The New York Civil Liberties Union (2007) successfully brought suit on behalf of a Muslim prison guard who was told that he had to remove his head covering (known as a kufi) while working, even though he had worn it while on duty for many years. A federal judge ordered the New York Department of Corrections to allow the guard to resume wearing his head covering on the job.
Haqq v. Department of Correctional Services (Defending right of public employees to adhere to religious beliefs while at work) | New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) - American Civil Liberties Union of New York State
The ACLU of Michigan (2007) came to the defense of a devoted Muslim woman who was forbidden from riding a public bus in Grand Rapids because of her religious veil. After the ACLU met with county officials, the bus system repealed its no-face-covering rule and agreed to conduct diversity training.
In Brief
The ACLU of Alabama (2007) represented Native American inmates in their successful lawsuit requiring the state of Alabama to permit sacred sweat lodge ceremonies at designated correctional facilities on holy days. After winning that case, the ACLU of Alabama represented some of the inmates again when the State attempted to transfer them to a correctional facility in Louisiana that does not allow such religious ceremonies.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Georgia (2007) wrote a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on behalf of a Sikh physician. The doctor had been instructed that he must, contrary to his religious beliefs, shave his beard and remove his turban in order to work at the Public Health Commissioned Corporation of CDC. After receiving the ACLU's letter, the CDC implemented a new, individualized process for requests for religious exemptions that creates a general presumption in favor of religious accommodation.
The ACLU of West Virginia (2007) brought suit challenging a company's refusal to permit one of its employees to wear a skirt to work. The employee's religious beliefs prohibited her from wearing trousers. The employer refused to accommodate these beliefs despite the employee's offer to pay for a uniform skirt with her own funds.
The ACLU of Missouri (2007) sent a letter to the Kansas City Water Department demanding that a Muslim employee be permitted to attend Friday prayers. The Department responded by extending the employee's Friday lunch to accommodate her religious observance.
The ACLU of Nevada (2007) appeared before the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the EEOC on behalf of a Jewish Orthodox employee of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department whose request to wear a trim beard and yarmulke while at his non-uniform desk job was denied. When the Department still refused to grant the employee a religious accommodation, the ACLU brought a successful suit in federal court.
ACLU Wins Victory for Orthodox Jewish Police Officer Seeking to Wear Beard | ACLU of Nevada
The ACLU of Virginia (2007) filed a complaint under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act challenging a Virginia Department of Corrections policy requiring inmates to be clean-shaven and to keep their hair short. The policy infringed on the beliefs of Muslim and Rastafarian inmates who have religious objections to cutting their hair.
http://www.acluva.org/newsreleases2007/Jan6.html
http://www.acluva.org/newsreleases2006/May19.html
The ACLU of New Jersey (2007) filed a religious discrimination case on behalf of a Muslim student who had to choose between following his religious beliefs that forbid him from entering buildings with foreign religious symbols and attending his public high school graduation that was scheduled to be held in a church. The ACLU argued that the school's decision unlawfully forced the student to choose between attending his graduation and violating his faith.
News :: ACLU of New Jersey
The ACLU of Louisiana (2007) filed a Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act lawsuit in federal court after the David Wade Correctional Facility refused to permit a Muslim inmate to receive a religious newspaper.
http://www.laaclu.org/News/2007/LeonardPR_050907.html
The ACLU of Southern California (2007) filed claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the First Amendment, and several state law provisions on behalf of Souhair Khatib, a practicing Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab, a religious headscarf, when taken into custody at an Orange County courthouse holding facility. In accordance with her religious beliefs, Mrs. Khatib wears her headscarf whenever she is in public or in the presence of men who are not part of her immediate family, and she does not permit any physical contact with men who are not her immediate relatives.
Muslim sues O.C. over right to wear head scarf - Los Angeles Times
http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/StPeteLetter.pdf
The ACLU of Oregon (2007) defended the right of students at a private religious school not to be pressured to violate their Sabbath day by playing in a state basketball tournament. The Oregon School Activities Association scheduled state tournament games on Saturdays, the recognized Sabbath of students and faculty of the Portland Adventist Academy. The ACLU argued that the school's team, having successfully made it to the tournament, should not be required to violate their religious beliefs in order to participate.
Nakashima v. Board of Education | ACLU of Oregon
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) came to the defense of a Jewish law student who needed to reschedule the first day of her bar exam because of a conflict with a day of religious observance. After a letter from the ACLU, she was granted the requested religious accommodation.
The ACLU of Texas (2007) represented a Texas man who was ordered out of the courtroom by a Justice of the Peace and threatened with arrest when he refused to remove his turban – worn in accordance with his Sikh faith – while defending himself against a traffic citation.
http://www.aclutx.org/chapters/article.php?aid=506&cid=6
The ACLU of Michigan (2007) filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Old Redford Academy, a public charter school in Detroit, for violating a ninth grade student's right to wear his hair long in accordance with a verse in Leviticus. Despite the religious basis for his long hair, the school suspended him and referred him for expulsion for violating its "closely cropped" hair policy. The judge issued an injunction ordering the Academy to let the student return to school.
ACLU Applauds School's Decision to Grant Religious Accommodation to Student | ACLU of Michigan | Because Freedom Can?t Protect Itself
The ACLU of West Virginia (2007) sued on behalf of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) university student who won a prestigious scholarship to West Virginia University. Although the state scholarship board provided leaves of absence for military, medical, and family reasons, it denied the ACLU's client a leave of absence to serve on a two-year mission for his church. ACLU-WV: press release 07/19/07
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) challenged a North Carolina Department of Corrections policy making all religious services in prison English-only, thereby denying access to many inmates. The North Carolina Division of Prisons agreed to review the policy and the need for religious services in languages other than English in the state correctional system.
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) defended the rights of prisoners in the Teller County Jail to receive a proper diet consistent with their religion. After jail officials determined that prisoners would not have "certain religious articles or diets," the ACLU wrote a letter of inquiry which resulted in a revision of the jail's policy to allow for religious accommodation.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania (2007) came to the defense of a second-grade student who, in response to a class assignment to write a story, submitted a story about Easter and redemption. After the teacher rejected the submission because of its religious content, the ACLU wrote a letter to the school on the student's behalf. The principal and teacher subsequently apologized, and the principal agreed to instruct his teachers on the law.
The ACLU of New Jersey (2007) defended the right of an elementary school student who was prohibited from singing "Awesome God" in a voluntary after-school talent show for which students selected their own material. The ACLU submitted a friend-of-the-court brief. After a favorable settlement was reached for the student, the federal lawsuit was dismissed.
ACLU of New Jersey Defends Second-Grader's Right to Sing Religious Song | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU and the ACLU of Pennsylvania (2007) prevailed in their case on behalf of an Egyptian Coptic Christian who had been detained and who claimed he had been tortured by the Egyptian government because he refused to convert to Islam. After permitting Sameh Khouzam to stay in the United States for nine years based on evidence that he would probably be tortured if he returned to Egypt, the U.S. government changed its position in 2007 and sought to deport Mr. Khouzam based on diplomatic assurances from the Egyptian government that Mr. Khouzam would not be tortured upon return. As a result of the ACLU's advocacy, a federal court granted Mr. Khouzam an indefinite stay of deportation to Egypt. Court rejects government's attempt to deport Egyptian to torture :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) wrote a letter to the Dismas Charities Community Correction Center on behalf of a former resident who was told he could not drink wine during communion services while confined at the Center. After the ACLU advised the Center of its obligations under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, the Center revised its communion policy to comply with federal law.
The ACLU of Colorado (2007) came to the defense of a Seventh-Day Adventist who was being refused a religious diet in prison. After the ACLU communicated with prison authorities on the prisoner's behalf, the diet was provided.
http://www.aclu-co.org/docket/Advocacy/2006/06.1021.wise.htm
The ACLU of Georgia (2007) filed a federal lawsuit to help obtain a zoning permit for a house of worship on behalf of the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church after the city of East Point denied the request. The city has since repealed the ordinance and churches are now allowed to occupy buildings that were previously used for commercial purposes.
ACLU of Georgia and Baptist Church File Religious Discrimination Lawsuit | American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.acluga.org/press.releases/0707/church.east.point.html
The ACLU of Delaware (2007) prevailed in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Christians, pagans, and Wiccans, alleging that a department store violated a Delaware public accommodations law by canceling community courses after individuals complained about the religious beliefs that were being taught in the centers.
The ACLU of Eastern Missouri (2007) represented Shirley L. Phelps-Roper, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, whose religious beliefs led her to condemn homosexuality as a sin and insist that God is punishing the United States. The protests in which she has been involved have been confrontational and have involved funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq. While the ACLU does not endorse her message, it does believe that she has both religious and free-speech rights to express her viewpoint criticizing homosexuality. The Supreme Court recently refused to overturn a court of appeals decision in Phelps-Roper's favor.
ACLU of Eastern Missouri Challenges Law Banning Pickets and Protests One Hour Before or After a Funeral | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) assisted with the naturalization of a Jehovah's Witness who was originally denied citizenship based on his conscientious refusal to swear an oath that he would be willing to bear arms on behalf of the country.
The ACLU of Rhode Island (2007) prevailed in its arguments on behalf of a Christian inmate, Wesley Spratt, who had been preaching in prison for over seven years before administrators told him to stop based on vague and unsubstantiated security concerns. After the ACLU prevailed in the Court of Appeals, the parties reached a settlement under which Mr. Spratt is free to preach again.
Providence Journal | Rhode Island news, sports, weather & more
The ACLU and the ACLU of Southern California (2007) filed suit on behalf of Jameelah Medina, a Muslim woman who was forced by local deputies to remove her religious head covering while she was in custody in San Bernardino County's West Valley Detention Center. Despite her repeated requests to keep her head covered during her day-long incarceration, Medina was forced to remove her hijab in the presence of men she did not know and to remain uncovered for much of the day. In October 2008, the county agreed to adopt a policy accommodating the right of Muslim women to wear headscarves in accordance with their religious beliefs.
Medina v. County of San Bernardino | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of North Carolina (2007) won its lawsuit against the state of North Carolina to permit witnesses at trial to take oaths on the religious scriptures of their own religious beliefs (in this case, Islam) rather than on those approved by the state. ACLU of North Carolina Applauds Court Ruling Preventing Religious Discrimination in the Courtroom | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of Southern California (2007) represents Calvin Chee Keong Lee, a Buddhist-Taoist conscientious objector who enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after arriving in the United States from Malaysia. Currently stationed in Ft. Irwin, California and scheduled for imminent deployment to Iraq, Lee sought discharge from the Army based on his religious beliefs, which compel him not to kill or cause injury to others. When he enlisted, Lee believed that he would be able to remain in his civilian construction job.
Ft. Irwin Man Sues for Conscientious Objector Status | ACLU of Southern California
The ACLU (2007) argued that veterans and their families should be able to decide for themselves which religious symbol is placed on a deceased veteran's headstone at federal cemeteries. The ACLU challenged the constitutionality of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policy that had restricted religious symbols only to those that had been approved by government officials. The Department of Veterans Affairs settled the case by agreeing to allow a Wiccan symbol to be included on the plaintiffs' loved ones' military headstones.
Veterans Denied Right to Post Religious Symbol on Headstones, ACLU Charges | American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU of West Virginia and the ACLU of the National Capital Area (2007) represented a Muslim Iranian-American couple, both of whom were terminated from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) because of their religion and without due process. The ACLU negotiated an agreement with NIOSH under which the husband and wife were reinstated to their previous positions with back pay, benefits, and damages.
ACLU-WV: press release 10/20/06
Untitled Document
The New York Civil Liberties Union (2007) successfully brought suit on behalf of a Muslim prison guard who was told that he had to remove his head covering (known as a kufi) while working, even though he had worn it while on duty for many years. A federal judge ordered the New York Department of Corrections to allow the guard to resume wearing his head covering on the job.
Haqq v. Department of Correctional Services (Defending right of public employees to adhere to religious beliefs while at work) | New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) - American Civil Liberties Union of New York State
The ACLU of Michigan (2007) came to the defense of a devoted Muslim woman who was forbidden from riding a public bus in Grand Rapids because of her religious veil. After the ACLU met with county officials, the bus system repealed its no-face-covering rule and agreed to conduct diversity training.
In Brief
The ACLU of Alabama (2007) represented Native American inmates in their successful lawsuit requiring the state of Alabama to permit sacred sweat lodge ceremonies at designated correctional facilities on holy days. After winning that case, the ACLU of Alabama represented some of the inmates again when the State attempted to transfer them to a correctional facility in Louisiana that does not allow such religious ceremonies.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Georgia (2007) wrote a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on behalf of a Sikh physician. The doctor had been instructed that he must, contrary to his religious beliefs, shave his beard and remove his turban in order to work at the Public Health Commissioned Corporation of CDC. After receiving the ACLU's letter, the CDC implemented a new, individualized process for requests for religious exemptions that creates a general presumption in favor of religious accommodation.
The ACLU of West Virginia (2007) brought suit challenging a company's refusal to permit one of its employees to wear a skirt to work. The employee's religious beliefs prohibited her from wearing trousers. The employer refused to accommodate these beliefs despite the employee's offer to pay for a uniform skirt with her own funds.
The ACLU of Missouri (2007) sent a letter to the Kansas City Water Department demanding that a Muslim employee be permitted to attend Friday prayers. The Department responded by extending the employee's Friday lunch to accommodate her religious observance.
The ACLU of Nevada (2007) appeared before the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the EEOC on behalf of a Jewish Orthodox employee of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department whose request to wear a trim beard and yarmulke while at his non-uniform desk job was denied. When the Department still refused to grant the employee a religious accommodation, the ACLU brought a successful suit in federal court.
ACLU Wins Victory for Orthodox Jewish Police Officer Seeking to Wear Beard | ACLU of Nevada
The ACLU of Virginia (2007) filed a complaint under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act challenging a Virginia Department of Corrections policy requiring inmates to be clean-shaven and to keep their hair short. The policy infringed on the beliefs of Muslim and Rastafarian inmates who have religious objections to cutting their hair.
http://www.acluva.org/newsreleases2007/Jan6.html
http://www.acluva.org/newsreleases2006/May19.html
The ACLU of New Jersey (2007) filed a religious discrimination case on behalf of a Muslim student who had to choose between following his religious beliefs that forbid him from entering buildings with foreign religious symbols and attending his public high school graduation that was scheduled to be held in a church. The ACLU argued that the school's decision unlawfully forced the student to choose between attending his graduation and violating his faith.
News :: ACLU of New Jersey
The ACLU of Louisiana (2007) filed a Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act lawsuit in federal court after the David Wade Correctional Facility refused to permit a Muslim inmate to receive a religious newspaper.
http://www.laaclu.org/News/2007/LeonardPR_050907.html
The ACLU of Southern California (2007) filed claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the First Amendment, and several state law provisions on behalf of Souhair Khatib, a practicing Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab, a religious headscarf, when taken into custody at an Orange County courthouse holding facility. In accordance with her religious beliefs, Mrs. Khatib wears her headscarf whenever she is in public or in the presence of men who are not part of her immediate family, and she does not permit any physical contact with men who are not her immediate relatives.
Muslim sues O.C. over right to wear head scarf - Los Angeles Times