News & Commentary

Capistrano parent Tareef Nashashibi was thrilled by the news that Capistrano's school district was prevented from going through with an effort that would have resulted in segregated schools. "This decision is very momentous; it is what I was hoping for. As a parent, I went into this thinking the district was doing a good job. The court decision confirms that the school district was going about things right. Decisions like this one are what make our country great--they show that racism and discrimination stops at the constitution."

ORANGE, Calif. - An Orange County judge today resisted attempts to hobble integration efforts in California public schools and expand the meaning of Proposition 209, which prohibits discrimination or the use of race for preferential treatment.

LOS ANGELES - The ACLU of Southern California, the Student Press Law Center and the law firm Caldwell Leslie Newcombe & Pettit submitted a friend of the court brief with the California Court of Appeal today in support of the free speech rights of student journalists.

Andrew D. Smith, a former student at Novato High School and current U.S. Marine, authored two opinion pieces for his school's student newspaper, The Buzz. The articles were originally approved by the school principal, but after publication school officials confiscated copies of the The Buzz and said the editorials violated school policy after other students and parents complained about the content of the articles. Smith sued the school district and the Superior Court issued a ruling against him, which, if not reversed, will almost certainly chill future speech by sending the message that school officials can prevent or punish students for publishing certain views, Sun said.

LOS ANGELES - In pledging its support for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school reform bill, the ACLU of Southern California becomes the first major civil rights group to back the plan to improve Los Angeles Unified School District and increase accountability within the system.

ORANGE, Calif. - The ACLU of Southern California and the Fullerton School District announced an agreement today that will ensure equal access to a public school program that requires certain students and their families to purchase laptop computers.

LOS ANGELES - A year after filing a lawsuit to stop federal policies designed to silence whistleblowers in the Federal Air Marshal Service, the ACLU of Southern California announced an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies that will permit marshals to speak about public safety concerns.

LOS ANGELES - The ACLU California affiliates provided school districts across the state with information about students' free speech rights and school discipline in the wake of recent walkouts.

LOS ANGELES - A federal judge today sided with an air marshal concerned that overly restrictive policies may jeopardize the public's safety and curtail whistleblower rights.