Tag Archives: Group: ACLU

Fox News: A Rhode Island town is bracing for a potentially “boisterous” public hearing next week where officials will vote on whether to fight a court order to take down a prayer banner that has hung for decades in a high school.

NewsOK.com: Religious groups that oppose President Obama’s mandate that they provide contraception are using the right to religious liberty as a way to discriminate against women, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in an email opposing congressional repeal of the mandate.

Havelock News: “It’s amazing to me that by virtue of being elected to this office, my speech is being restricted,” Commissioner Jeff Taylor said.

Hot Air:The ACLU protests this perception, pointing to a number of controversial clients they have defended and insist that their mission is only to preserve the civil liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the rest of the US Constitution. I think this puts the ACLU argument to rest once and for all . . .

Altavista Journal: A federal judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction barring the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors from opening meetings with Christian prayers pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

American Civil Liberties Union: The American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm Perkins Coie appeared in Alaska Superior Court yesterday seeking to allow transgender individuals to correct the sex marker on their driver’s licenses.

JournalNow.com: Although the Alliance Defense Fund is also offering to defend its revised policy if challenged in court, there were no takers on the county board on Thursday. Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt said she was against telling anyone how to pray: “I could never invite anyone here to pray, and meet them at the door and tell them how to pray,” she said. “That is insulting.” | Also reported at: MyFox8.com

BET: Sticks and stones can break your bones, and, as the old schoolyard ditty goes, words may never hurt you. But at least they may lead you to be granted large damages in a lawsuit. A Seattle man has been awarded $100,000 in his suit against the Aberdeen School District, charging they did little to stop the racial and anti-gay bullying he endured from 2003 to 2009.

Alaska Dispatch: You may have been confused about this whole issue if you read an article published earlier this month in the Catholic Anchor, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Anchorage. That article — picked up and featured by the Alaska Dispatch — said “religious liberty groups … are already raising concerns about the impact that the proposed law would have on faith-based institutions and nonprofits in Anchorage.” The article goes on to mention only one religious liberty group, the Alliance Defense Fund, a national legal fund defending “religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family,” according to its website. The fund analyzed the initiative, according to the article. In that analysis, the fund determined the initiative would “undermine religious liberty.”

Pat Buchanan at Townhall: Now, not only is this a battle the Church must fight, it is a battle the Church can win if it has the moral stamina to say the course. In forcing the Church to violate its own principles, Obama has committed an act of federal aggression, crossing the line between church and state to appease his ACLU and feminist allies, while humiliating the Catholic bishops.

American Civil Liberties Union: Among the key requirements of the rule is a prohibition on inquires regarding sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as a prohibition on using sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for decision-making in Federal Housing Administration (FHA) programs. Additionally, the rule brings the definition of “eligible families” into the 21st century by including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

David French at National Review Online: I argued the case at the trial-court level (and cough lost cough) when I was at the Alliance Defense Fund and was on the appellate briefs, but the credit and congratulations go to Julea Ward, my former ADF colleagues, and my friend ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco, who argued the case at the Sixth Circuit. Well done, Jeremy.

ChicagoTribune.com: The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana’s top lawyer said Thursday that a bill pending that would allow schools to teach creationism in science classes clearly violates the U.S. Constitution and invites legal challenges.

The Washington Post: EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women’s Lobby have collected more than 100,000 signatures — far more than needed to seek the referendum — made their announcement Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Florida Independent: A bill that would allow students to pray during school events passed through its final state Senate committee yesterday.

AnnArbor.com : The Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a resolution directing the city administrator and city attorney to assist the civil rights group in the lawsuit filed in federal court this month after Gov. Rick Snyder signed Public Act 297 into law.

IrishCentral: The American Civil Liberties Union has insisted on the right of political candidates of all kinds to walk in the Dublin Ohio St.Patrick’s Day parade.

The Republic: Bill Sharp, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in Louisville, says the recent cases could have been postponed to let the high court rule on the appeal.

Rocky Mount Telegram: “This means that, for the time being, the standard for prayer policies in the 4th Circuit will be different from the standard held by the rest of the country,” said David Cortman, senior counsel for the group.

Joyce Brown letter in Citizen-Times: I believe many taxpayers would opt to send their children to private schools but they have so much taken from their income to keep the government schools operating that they cannot afford private or religious schools.

ParagouldDailyPress.com: Noble said he had not responded to the letters pending legal advice. He said the Rutherford Institute and Liberty Counsel had volunteered to help the school district in the matter and the Alliance Defense Fund had sent a list of court cases that might be applicable to the situation.

American Civil Liberties Union: The board of the Chesterfield County School District voted tonight to adopt a proposed settlement agreement that would put an end to the district’s pervasive practice of school-sponsored prayer, preaching and religious activities aimed at students.

630WPRO.com: The prayer banner that hangs at Cranston West High School must be removed immediately said U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux in his decision issued Wednesday.

Wichita Eagle: The American Civil Liberties Union is planning to question Kansas insurance providers about the impact of a new law restricting abortion coverage.

KansasCity.com: School districts wrestling over how to control a potential wave of students transferring out of Kansas City schools feared some parents might sue.

One News New: The ACLU has written the St. Joseph School District complaining that speakers, arranged through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, are inviting students to religious events at the end of their presentations. But Jeremy Tedesco of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) says the speakers are within their constitutional rights. [Jeremy quoted]

WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS (includes video): Two lighted crosses on a city-owned water tower in Bentonia have been turned off and one disgruntled resident has raised the ire of the entire town.

InsideNova: The Republican Party of Virginia recently announced that it would require a loyalty oath from Virginia voters who wish to vote in the March 6 primary.

The Republic (AP): The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit claiming the constitutional rights of four same-sex couples are being violated by a new Michigan law that bars insurance for some domestic partners. | ACLU press release, complaint, and other documents

NYTimes.com: “The free-speech rights of students and teachers are under an all-out assault,” said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute, a Christian legal group in Plano, Tex. He described one continuing legal case in which “children had pencils ripped out of their hands” because they carried a Christian message and students were “banned from writing Merry Christmas to the soldiers.”

KansasCity.com (AP): The American Civil Liberties Union has warned a northwest Missouri school district that it is coming close to breaching the line of separation between church and state with some of the motivational speakers it has arranged through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Fox News: In a scathing statement, the head of the ACLU, and other leading civil liberties and human rights groups who were among President Obama’s most ardent campaign supporters said the President’s decision to sign a sprawling defense bill including controversial detainee provisions would tarnish his legacy.

ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri today filed a lawsuit charging the Salem Public Library and its board of trustees with unconstitutionally blocking access to websites discussing minority religions by improperly classifying them as “occult” or “criminal.”

An Arizona federal court judge on Friday issued a temporary injunction to halt a new abortion law from going into effect on Jan. 1. The law restricts which groups Arizona taxpayers can donate to if they want to receive a tax credit.

Detroit Free Press: Many government employers in Michigan will be barred from providing health care benefits to the domestic partners of public employees under legislation signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Title Board voted Wednesday night allowing Personhood Colorado’s proposed personhood amendment to proceed.

Judge James E. Wilson granted an injunction to stop a group called Personhood Nevada from going forward with its initiative petition, the so-called personhood amendment. Wilson said he expects his ruling to be appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Engage Family Minute: A week or two earlier, a little 6-year old boy in a West Virginia first grade classroom was given the assignment to answer the question, “Christmas is about ______.” This is a long-standing tradition in the rural county in which he lives. The county paper receives the papers, scans them, and publishes them so the whole county can “Ooo” and “Aweee” over the backwards letters and funny quips common to 6-year olds. But, 3 of these boys got it right. They answered, “Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday.” When they received their papers back, bold, black lines were crossed through the words, “Jesus birthday.”

ACLU: The New York Civil Liberties Union today wrote to New York City officials and Brookfield Properties asking them to accommodate a Christmas prayer vigil at Zuccotti Park.

A district judge today ruled against pro-choice advocates seeking to stop an initiative petition that proposes to outlaw abortion by declaring that life begins at conception.

Reuters: Virginia groups opposed to discriminating against would-be adoptive and foster parents based on factors including sexuality and religion said on Thursday they may sue after a state board’s decision.

Greendale.Patch.com: The ACLU of Wisconsin is investigating the Greendale School District for violation of religious liberty rights after a Hindu song was removed from the elementary winter concerts because a parent complained about religions mentions.

KUAR.org: The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas is taking issue with a nativity scene displayed in a Paragould primary school. In a follow up to a story we brought you earlier in the week, the ACLU’s director Rita Sklar says although she wants to avoid a lawsuit, the school must obey the constitution.

Omaha.com: Lincoln lawyer Jeff Downing, who has defended schools and cities in cases involving religious expression, said the school probably overreacted by taking down the sign. “I think it’s a completely defensible thing to have on a school kiosk at this time of year,” he said. “It could have a meaning for one observer that’s completely different from the next observer who looks at it.”

The Washington Post: A boy removed from his mother’s custody over health concerns when his weight ballooned to more than 200 pounds will be taken from foster care and placed in the custody of an uncle, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Chatham Star Tribune: News: A federal judge is expected to decide the fate of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union over public prayer at Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors meetings by the end of December.

Chicago Tribune: The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit arguing that Wisconsin’s new voter identification law is unconstitutional.

Roanoke.com: The student who is suing to have a copy of the Ten Commandments removed from a hallway wall at Narrows High School will continue to be known only as Doe 1.

NBC29.com: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is sending a word of warning to Virginia’s governor and attorney general. The ACLU says new proposed abortion regulations on women’s health clinics could open up the commonwealth to a legal challenge.

Palm Beach Post: New legislation sponsored by Wise, if passed, would require districts to officially refer to the period during which school is not in session and includes Christmas Day as Christmas Break. It would go into effect July 1, 2012.

WSBT.com: Four South Bend men and the ACLU sued saying it was a gift to the Diocese and against the separation of church and state. A judge ruled in their favor but after two other failed proposals from the city, a federal court approved a public auction of the land at the minimum bid of $545,000.

ACLU Blog: Yet, current Department of Defense (DoD) policy still precludes women from being “assigned” to most combat units. This policy is wrong and should be changed as soon as possible.

The Cheraw Chronicle: News the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Chesterfield County School District for unconstitutionally promoting Christianity hit the headlines, airways and Internet on Monday — before it hit the superintendent’s desk.

The Tennessean | tennessean.com: The Sumner County Board of Education settled a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union over teacher-led prayer and other religious activity in public schools.

Annette Lathrop at Wallowa.com: Coalescing behind the ACLU and the Freedom from Religion Foundation (a Wisconsin-based group), the Christmas haters are among those who “have been on a mission to eliminate public expression of our nation’s faith and heritage,” according to the Alliance Defense Fund. This well-known legal group is often called to answer court challenges. [more]

Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union: Today, the ACLU petitioned the Supreme Court to hear our case challenging patents on two human genes related to breast and ovarian cancer. The case, Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. vs. Myriad Genetics, et al. . . .

ADF Attorney Steven Aden at Townhall: Perhaps one of the most novel aspects of the recently released iPhone 4S is the Siri app, which allows you to ask your phone questions and then hear your phone answer them – a nascent form of artificial intelligence. However, as great as this technology is, the ACLU is quite upset over the fact that the app doesn’t appear to be abortion friendly. While the app will quickly tell where to find the best Thai food, the closest ExxonMobil gas station, or a Presbyterian church, it won’t answer questions about abortion.

KTVI: The court case pitting the long time, same sex partner of a dead state trooper against the state of Missouri will go on at least a few months longer. A Jefferson City judge wants to hear arguments from both sides in the case some time in February.

Orlando Sentinel: The ACLU announced today it’s come out with a free pamphlet laying out citizens’ rights to video- and audio-record police and public officials in public places

Passport Magazine: The ACLU and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri will appear in court today to argue on behalf of Kelly Glossip, whose partner, Dennis Engelhard, was a state trooper killed in the line of duty. Missouri offers survivor benefits to spouses of troopers killed in the line of duty, but not to committed same-sex partners.

The Washington Post: The American Civil Liberties Union has started a petition asking Apple to update Siri to direct users to places to access birth control or abortion clinics when asked.

A federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction that stops the state from issuing license plates with an anti-abortion message . . .

Roanoke.com: A judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a display of the Ten Commandments in a Giles County school Monday, setting the stage for a long legal battle.

The Associated Press: Keeton’s lawsuit was brought by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian advocacy group that that presses faith-based cases in court nationwide. It argues that the First Amendment protects Keeton’s rights to share her beliefs about gays with others.

OneNewsNow.com: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas is taking an unusual stance and defending students’ rights to wear religious symbols at school.

Wisconsin State Journal: First it was the ACLU, then the unions. Now the Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation is joining the list of organizations speaking out against Madison Preparatory Academy.

The Republic: Only 39 couples in Rhode Island have obtained civil unions since state lawmakers gave same-sex couples the option earlier this year.

Courthouse News Service: The ACLU, American Jewish Committee, American Center for Law and Justice and Alliance Defense Fund all filed amicus briefs in the case.

Religion Clause: In Brownsville, Texas, the ACLU has filed an open records request with school officials in order to look into the a provision in the high school’s Code of Conduct that bans wearing “religious symbols which have been altered with the intent of causing offense or inciting or promoting gang activity, violence, or other prohibited behaviors.”

ADF Attorney Joe Infranco appeared with Cy Kellett on KCEO (Catholic Radio San Diego). | MP3 audio 21:54 mins

The New American: The ACLU’s Nebraska franchise is demanding that a school district in that state put a stop to prayer at its high school graduation, even though the ceremony is sponsored and run privately by parents.

The Hill: The American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday that the Obama administration shouldn’t scale back new rules requiring healthcare plans to cover contraception.

MarketWatch: Responding quickly to concerns that its iBoss Web Filters were blocking access to LGBT websites for employees of Montgomery County, Maryland, Phantom Technologies assures customers that its web-filtering technology is designed to function within the guidelines of the ACLU’s Don’t Filter Me campaign, which seeks to curb illegal filtering of pro-LGBT content.

ADF Attorney Steven Aden at Townhall: The American Civil Liberties Union is offering us a 21st century rendition of this riddle in North Carolina, where they’ve pulled out all stops to keep women from viewing ultrasound pictures of their babies in the womb before deciding whether to abort them. The ACLU asks, “If you don’t see the baby, is it still a baby?”

NECN.com: A Montana judge abdicated his responsibility when he dismissed a lawsuit by six gay couples seeking the same legal benefits as married couples, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday in an appeal to the state’s highest court. | ACLU press release and information page