LOS ANGELES - Five students and their parents filed an emergency lawsuit today in Superior Court in Kern County seeking publication in the next two weeks of a series of articles about sexual orientation that was censored by school officials.

Student editors, their sources and their parents said they were shocked at the high school administration's decision to silence them and stop publication of five articles from varying perspectives about gender identity, sexual orientation and students' personal stories. The East Bakersfield High School students are asking that the articles be published in the final edition of the paper, which is slated for print at the end of the month.

"I am really surprised and disappointed by our principal's decision to censor us," said Joel Paramo, a senior and editor-in-chief of The Kernal. "I wish we didn't need to file a lawsuit against the school to publish these stories. We chose to focus on sexual orientation in the paper so that the issues could be talked about in the open, not stuffed back into the closet."

The Kernal editors and the students interviewed for the articles first learned they would not be allowed to publish that portion of the newspaper April 29. The East High paper has been selected for several top awards from the local press club and has been allowed to print articles about sexuality in the past. Additionally, the student editors went to great lengths to ensure their sources and even their sources' parents knew about the articles.

"The East High students took an important step in promoting tolerance and understanding. They picked up where the school did not venture to go," said Christine Sun, staff attorney for the ACLU of Southern California. "These students are taking a very courageous step and we take the safety of all students very seriously."

Janet Rangel, a senior at East High, was interviewed for the story with her mother, both are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Rangel said she was shocked to learn the stories would not be published.

"When our principal said the articles on sexual orientation could not be published in The Kernal it made me feel like I'm back where I was - in the closet again, hiding," Rangel said. "I don't want that. It's not ok. I want to be out. I'm out for a reason. I want people to learn from me and not treat me differently just because I'm gay. I went two steps ahead when I came out and now the school is pushing me back. And, now maybe other students who were thinking about coming out won't."

The Gay-Straight Alliance Network, which supports 38 school clubs in central California including GSA clubs at West Bakersfield High, Bakersfield High, South Bakersfield High, Liberty High and Kern Valley High, is also named as a plaintiff in the case.

"The school should provide a safe campus for all students, and protect them from harassment and discrimination, not force them into silence," said Carolyn Laub, the group's executive director. "If the principal has direct evidence that there are safety concerns at school, then his first priorities should not be to curtail free speech rights of students but to take appropriate steps to identify and discipline those students who are making threats and to make clear to the school community that harassment will not be tolerated."

SACRAMENTO - The State Senate today approved a bill that would prohibit state and local governments from issuing identification documents containing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a device that can broadcast an individual's most private information including name, phone number, and date of birth. In a 29-7 bipartisan vote, the bill would also make it unlawful for a person to read or attempt to read an identification document without the owner's knowledge.

The bill will be heard next in the State Assembly.

Authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Senate Bill 682, also known as the Identity Information Protection Act of 2005, is said to be the first bill of its kind in the country and has drawn national attention following the federal government's decision to embed RFID tags in new U.S. passports.

"This represents significant progress for protecting the privacy, personal safety, and financial security of all Californians," said Senator Simitian. "RFID technology is not in and of itself the issue. The issue is whether and under what circumstances the government should be allowed to impose this technology on its residents. This bill provides a thoughtful and rational policy framework for making those decisions."

"I'm particularly pleased that the measure passed out of the Senate on a bi-partisan basis," added Simitian, noting that a majority of both Democrats and Republicans voted in support of the measure.

RFID tag readers are readily available to the public, making it easy for anyone to collect an individual's most personal information. That information can then be used to steal a person's identity, stalk them, or even kidnap them. RFID tags embedded in public employee identification tags and other official documents could allow the government to track its employees' movements. SB 682 would also make it unlawful for a person to read or attempt to read an identification document without the owner's knowledge.

"The bi-partisan support of Monday's vote shows California's leaders have heard the message of its residents - protect our privacy rights," said Pam Noles, a policy associate with the ACLU of Southern California. "Now the Assembly must take a pioneering step and vote in support of this measure and the Governor must sign it into law."

SB 682 has gained support from across the political spectrum. Former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Georgia) recently featured Senator Simitian on his weekly show on Radio America. Other supporters include the Capitol Resource Institute, the AARP, The California Alliance Against Domestic Violence, the Statewide California Coalition for Battered Women, California NOW, the California Commission on the Status of Women, and the University of California Student Association (UCSA).

"This bill is important because it will protect Californian's privacy, security, and economic well-being" said Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The bill was in part inspired by a case of an elementary school in Sutter, California that required its students to wear identification badges that contained RFID tags that broadcast the student's name, photo, grade, school name, class year and the four-digit school ID number. Parents successfully petitioned the school to remove the RFID tags.

LOS ANGELES - Like Nightline anchor Ted Koppel's choice to honor soldiers who died while fighting the war in Iraq by reading hundreds of names, two Santa Barbara brothers chose to read soldiers' names on Veteran's Day last year in the city's shopping district.

Like Koppel, the brothers came under fire for their actions.

While peacefully reading the names last November, police approached Michael and George Tocher and arrested Michael. The ACLU of Southern California filed a claim today with the City of Santa Barbara seeking damages for Michael for the violation of his First Amendment rights.

The brothers had read about 400 of the 1,200 names of soldiers who died when police arrived in response to a citizen complaint. They then wrongly accused Michael of disturbing the peace, yelled at him, demanded identification and promptly arrested him. George was not cited.

"The right of free expression is one of our most fundamental rights," said Ricardo Garcia, criminal justice director for the ACLU of Southern California. "Neither Michael nor George were doing anything that is not protected by the First Amendment. Free speech does not stop at the city limits."

The claim was received by the city Friday morning and if the claim is denied, the ACLU of Southern California will file a complaint with federal district court in the central district of California for violations of Michael's First and Fourth Amendment rights.

"My brother and I felt like we had to do something to remember the hundreds of soldiers who died in Iraq," said George Tocher, a social worker in Los Angeles. "We felt it was a very reasonable and non-offensive way of protesting the war. We didn't want to do anything negative, but rather bring awareness on Veteran's Day."

The Tochers, two of five brothers, are Santa Barbara natives. Michael lives in Nipomo and George in Los Angeles.

"If we were to do it all again, I would do it without hesitation," said Michael Tocher, electrical engineer and father of two. "It is our duty as people in this great country to speak out, be heard and engage the freedoms that we claim as our own. It is so important that everyone have a chance to speak out without fear of retribution."