SAN FRANCISCO - In a November 13 letter sent to California School Superintendents throughout the state, all three California affiliates of the ACLU are urging school officials to protect the privacy of high school students from unwanted military recruitment solicitations.

In January 2002, the “No Child Left Behind Act” was passed by Congress that requires school districts, receiving certain federal funding, to provide student names, addresses and phone numbers on request to various branches of the United States military for recruiting purposes. In addition, schools must allow military recruiters the same access to students as they do institutions of higher education and employers.

“Our concern is that in the current politically-charged post 9/11 environment, there is a good deal of pressure from the government to engage in patriotic displays,” said Ann Brick, staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “With the letter we want to remind school officials that the new law also gives students and parents the right to say that their contact information can not be disclosed to military recruiters without prior parental approval.”

In the letter, the ACLU affiliates urge the school districts to protect the privacy of students by setting up user-friendly procedures that notify students and their families of their rights and makes it easy for them to opt out. Those measures include:

· The school should notify students, as well as their parents, that they can choose to withhold their contact information from recruiters without prior parental consent. Simple forms can be distributed for students to fill out in class. Students should also be given forms to bring home to a parent.
· Parents should be given the opportunity to withhold their child's information from various entities selectively.
· All forms and notices should be translated into other languages for members of immigrant communities attending the schools.

The ACLU of Northern California, the ACLU of Southern California and the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties sent the letter.