LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today announced David Sapp will serve as the director of education advocacy/legal counsel, a position designed to identify critical civil rights issues in California’s public schools and to help create comprehensive strategies for protecting students’ rights.

“Today’s not guilty verdict in the criminal trial of Fullerton police officers Jay Cicinelli and Manuel Ramos, who were charged in the beating death of Kelly Thomas, is disappointing and demonstrates the need for civilian police review boards in Fullerton and elsewhere in Orange County,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Department of Education and Department of Justice today released federal guidance to assist schools in administering discipline in a nondiscriminatory way and to provide alternatives to overly punitive school discipline practices.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Transgender students, and their parents, educators and friends today are both relieved and concerned that while the California School Success and Opportunity Act (AB 1266) -- which helps schools better understand how to provide a fair opportunity for transgender students to participate and succeed -- failed to qualify for a referendum based on a random count of signatures, it may still qualify depending on the outcome of a full count of the signatures. 

ANAHEIM — The ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian and Ho and the Law Offices of Robert Rubin announced a settlement of a lawsuit against the City of Anaheim regarding how Anaheim voters elect their city council representatives. 

"The ACLU of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) welcomes Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca’s decision to resign after 48 years of service," said Hector Villagra, ACLU SoCal executive director. "In so doing, Sheriff Baca has done what is best for his deputies, the department, and the residents of the county."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Transgender students and their families are celebrating California’s new School Success and Opportunity Act, which ensures that schools across the state understand their obligation to provide a fair opportunity for transgender students to participate in all school programs and to graduate with their peers. The law went into effect on January 1st.

The ACLU has been litigating abuses in the Los Angeles County Jails since the mid 1970s. In 1985, it was appointed monitor of the facilities that comprise the Los Angeles County Jails system. In January 2012, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Lee Baca and his top brass for condoning a longstanding, widespread pattern of violence by deputies against inmates in the Los Angeles County jails.

“’I didn’t know’ is Sheriff Lee Baca’s refrain to every disturbing incident that comes to light. That stock answer is unacceptable,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.