Blog

We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.

Keeping Hope in the Face of Hate

Aug 25, 2017

Several times since the horrible events of Charlottesville, people have asked me, "what gives you hope?" I have had to search past a few things to get to that answer.

Know Your Rights: Sex Ed Should Inform, Not Stigmatize

Aug 25, 2017

Abstinence-only sex education has been illegal in California for years. But some schools are still failing to teach sex ed, or are teaching a version of sex ed that spreads misinformation and is based in fear and stigma.

Know Your Rights: Police in Schools Don’t Have Unlimited Power

Aug 24, 2017

When police officers replace school administrators as disciplinarians, the results are often disastrous, especially for students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities. Police presence on campus contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline that pushes thousands of youth out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system

Know Your Rights: You Have the Right to Get Reproductive Health Care and Keep it Private

Aug 23, 2017

With a new school year comes new experiences, new choices, and new opportunities. One is the opportunity to make sure you and your friends have the information you need to help navigate the different decisions that may come up in your life. Some of the most important decisions you may face are around your reproductive and sexual health, and if you’re a young person in California, you have the righ... Read More

I Spy With My Little Eye a Constitutional Violation

Aug 22, 2017

There has always been a tenuous relationship between protesters and the police, but it’s even more frustrating to think some police departments may track events and their organizers solely because of the views expressed. Just this year, the Fresno Police Department has tracked at least 47 events, with one thing in common: they were aligned with progressive causes.From January to May 2017, the Fres... Read More

Know Your Rights: Your Cell Phone Belongs to You, Not Your School

Aug 22, 2017

There are some things you won't be able to avoid when the new school year starts up. Homework. Pop quizzes. Final exams.But one thing you shouldn’t have to do is let your school search your phone.Under California law, school officials cannot search your phone, tablet, or laptop unless they have a search warrant, there is a legitimate emergency (like a bomb threat), or you say it’s OK. No snooping ... Read More

Know Your Rights: Your School Has No Business Checking Your Immigration Status

Aug 21, 2017

In this time when our federal government has ordered ICE officials to aggressively pursue undocumented folks, it’s important to remind some of our most vulnerable populations about their constitutional rights.

Conozca sus derechos: Su escuela no tiene ningún derecho a revisar su estatus migratorio

Aug 21, 2017

Read this in English »En estos momentos, cuando nuestro gobierno federal ha ordenado que agentes de ICE persigan agresivamente a personas indocumentadas, es importante hacerles recordar a nuestras poblaciones más vulnerables de sus derechos constitucionales. A pesar de que el gobierno de Trump haya dicho repetidamente que sólo se enfocará en los “malos hombres”, hemos visto que éste no es el caso.... Read More

What's Wrong with Airport Face Recognition?

Aug 04, 2017

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a “Traveler Verification Service” (TVS) that envisions applying face recognition to all airline passengers, including U.S. citizens, boarding flights exiting the United States. This system raises very serious privacy issues.

Civil Rights Data Advocacy at the State Level

Jul 30, 2017

Over the past decade, advocates have pushed state and local education agencies to collect and release data on how students are treated in their schools and justice systems.

Red-Baiting – An Old Trend Resurfaces #ACLUTimeMachine

Jul 21, 2017

During the last four weeks of the 2016 election cycle, I was placed at a county Republican headquarters as part of a fellowship. While there, I witnessed firsthand how then candidate Donald Trump’s open contempt for the free press was mirrored and picked up on the ground by his campaign.

Becoming a Civil Rights Data Advocate

Jun 26, 2017

Equal and fair treatment of students isn't something that can be taken for granted. It must be monitored. Data advocacy has long been a part of civil rights work, whether in the arenas of housing, employment, or education.