News & Commentary

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the posting of the Ten Commandments on the walls of school offices in the Val Verde School District. Along with the law firm of Morrison and Foerster, the ACLU has brought this suit on behalf of two families whose children attend school in Val Verde. The Supreme Court held in Stone v.Graham (1980) that the posting of the Ten Commandments on public school property violates the religious freedoms of students guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The ACLU of Southern California today announced that it would pursue legal action against the Board of Education of the Orange Unified School District if it refuses to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at El Modena High School.

The decision this week by the Val Verde school board to ignore the U.S. Constitution and post copies of the Ten Commandments on school house walls is deeply troubling. The Supreme Court has said that such action violates the religious freedom guarantees of the First Amendment. Nevertheless, the school board has proclaimed that it is free to disregard the law of the land. Educators should teach our children that, in this country, it is the rule of law that governs, not the whims of administrators and bureaucrats.

The ACLU of Southern California applauds the Los Angeles City Council for today’s 9 to 1 vote in opposition to the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Initiative (Prop 21) that will appear on the March 2000 ballot. We agree with the council that the measure “would enact an overly punitive approach to juvenile crime. Punishment is significantly emphasized over rehabilitation, thereby having devastating effects on high-risk youth.”

Today, the ACLU of Southern California, the California Women’s Law Center, and the law firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays, and Handler announced the settlement of their federal class action lawsuit, Baca v. City of Los Angeles, a suit which has drawn national attention for highlighting the institutional inequities facing girls’ sports and municipal recreation programs. The lawsuit alleged that the overwhelming majority of girls have no access to city-sponsored programs, services or facilities offered by their local parks and recreation facilities.

Today the ACLU of Southern California filed suit in federal court against the Belridge School District, a public school district near Bakersfield, in Kern County, California, challenging the constitutionality of the use of textbooks that convey a particular religious perspective on a wide range of classroom subjects, and that are replete with verbatim biblical passages and prayers for students to read. The suit also challenges the display of a banner on the walls of the Belridge School cafeteria that sets forth a Psalm.

Today the ACLU of Southern California filed a civil rights class action lawsuit in California Superior Court on behalf of public high school students who are being denied equal and adequate access to AP courses. The ACLU/SC lawsuit (Daniel v. State of California) charges that the State of California is in violation of the Equal Protection Clause and the Education Clause of the California constitution. Under the California constitution, public education is a fundamental right making the State obligated to correct inequities in the school system. This first of its kind case represents a compelling example of denial of equal educational opportunities in the aftermath of Proposition 209. The State’s failure to assure equal access to AP courses further perpetuates educational inequalities, particularly for students enrolled in lower income, predominantly African-American and Latino schools.

The ACLU of Southern California will join dozens of students unjustly barred from participating in their graduation ceremonies in a ‘mock’ graduation ceremony, Tuesday, June 22, at 1 p.m. Parents, fellow students and teachers are expected to attend.

Today the United States House of Representatives passed a measure which would allow states to pass laws permitting public schools to place the Ten Commandments in classrooms across this country. The ACLU of Southern California is shocked by this clear and arrogant violation of our constitution.