Student Rights
Constitutional violations are far too common in public schools across the country. Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for the students that is conducive to learning. They also have a responsibility to respect each student's individual rights. These two missions are not incompatible. Simply put, students have rights too.
Volunteer Rules Hinder Parental Involvement, Broad-Based Group Tells GRPS
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MARCH 1, 2011
MARCH 1, 2011
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A group of more than 60 concerned parents, educators and community leaders, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, sent a letter today to Grand Rapids Public Schools urging the district to amend its rules that prohibit parents, grandparents and guardians with criminal records from volunteering in their child’s school.
> Full StoryDPS, Students Settle Class Action Lawsuit To End Unconstitutional Searches, ACLU of Michigan Announces
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:November 5, 2010
DETROIT – In a consent judgment approved by the court this week, Detroit Public Schools agreed to end the practice of conducting mass student searches without suspicion of wrongdoing. In 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two honor students at Mumford High School whose belongings were searched every day in violation of a previous court order prohibiting such unconstitutional searches.
> Full Story
ACLU Calls on U-M to Honor Students’ Free Speech Rights in Residence Halls
University Urged to Lift Ban on Political Canvassing
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 17, 2010
DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter today urging the University of Michigan to amend its written policy banning students from campaigning for political causes and elections within the residence halls. The letter was signed by representatives of the ACLU of Michigan as well as the U-M undergraduate and law school ACLU chapters and the Washtenaw County ACLU.
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Charlevoix High School Lockdown Unconstitutional, ACLU Tells District In Letter
District Must Implement Policies To Protect Students’ Rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 15, 2010
CHARLEVOIX, MICH. – In a letter today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan harshly criticized the Charlevoix Public Schools handling of a 2008 incident at Charlevoix High School in which the entire school was placed on lockdown after an act of vandalism was discovered. Although school safety was never threatened, the entire student body was on lockdown for several hours and hundreds of students were lined up against a wall and searched by teachers and police.
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Students Sue To End Unconstitutional Searches At Detroit Public Schools, ACLU of Michigan Announces
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:December 15, 2009
DETROIT – In an effort to uphold the constitutional rights of students, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of two honor students against Detroit Public Schools for violating a previous court ordered settlement that bars the district from conducting unconstitutional mass searches.
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Detroit Public Schools Must Immediately End Mass Searches and Use of Pepper Spray on Students, ACLU Tells Robert Bobb in Letter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 5, 2009
DETROIT -- In a letter today to Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan expressed its deep concerns over reports of unconstitutional mass searches and the indiscriminate use of pepper spray on students by the district’s police force.
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ACLU of Michigan Warns School that Mandatory Sex Segregated Classrooms are Illegal, Discriminatory and Ineffective
IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 8, 2009
DETROIT– After learning that fourth graders at Millside Elementary School in Algonac were involuntarily separated into two single gender classrooms, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sent a letter today warning that these sex segregated classrooms are illegal, discriminatory and ineffective.
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ACLU of Michigan Releases Report Identifying School-to-Prison Pipeline in State
Report documents disproportionate disciplinary practices towards African American students, offers realistic recommendations to combat problem
IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 24, 2009
DETROIT –The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today released a comprehensive report entitled “Reclaiming Michigan’s Throwaway Kids: Students Trapped in the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” which documents a trend amongst school districts to enforce severe disciplinary policies and practices that push children permanently out of the classroom without regard for the long-term impact. The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the national trend of criminalizing, rather than educating, our children.
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U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in School Strip Search Case; Decision to Impact All Michigan Students
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:April 20, 2009
DETROIT -- In a case with broad implications for students throughout Michigan, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow in a lawsuit on behalf of a 13-year-old middle-school girl who was strip searched by school administrators who accused her of possessing prescription-strength ibuprofen. Over the years, several schools’ strip search policies have been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
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ACLU-MI Alarmed By Recent Arrests of 49 Students at a Detroit High School, Calls on Parents to Contact the Organization
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 11, 2009
DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that it launching an investigation into the hallway sweep conducted by the Detroit Police Department at Central High School that resulted in the arrest of 35 boys and 14 girls for “loitering.” The organization is calling on arrested students and their families who attend Central High School to contact the ACLU of Michigan to determine whether legal challenges are appropriate. Affected CHS students and their families can contact the ACLU of Michigan at 313.578.6800 or www.aclumich.org/get-help/submit-complaint
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School Should Recognize Student Group Opposing Surveillance Cameras
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 25, 2008
10-Year-Old Honor Roll Student Kicked Out of School for Hair Length May Return
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2007
Detroit -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that a judge has signed an order requiring Old Redford Academy officials to allow fifth-grader, Rodell Jefferson, III, to return to class after he was suspended and told he could face expulsion for the length of his hair. Click here for a picture.
> Full StoryACLU Says MHSAA Cheerleading Rules Banning Males are Unconstitutional
IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 23, 2006
DETROIT - In a letter to the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and more than 600 other signers urged the association to reform new regulations that would ban male cheerleaders from any post season competition.
> Full StoryACLU Settles Detroit Schools Mass Search Lawsuit, School Board Changes Policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 14, 2006
DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today that the Detroit Public Schools: Board of Education has agreed to settle a lawsuit that was filed in response to DPS’s policy that allows periodic police “sweeps” without notice in Detroit intermediate and high schools. As a result of this settlement, the policy has been changed.
> Full StoryJudges Rule High School Strip Searches Unconstitutional
April 4, 2005 - Press Release
DETROIT – In a victory for student rights, a panel of federal judges ruled today that the strip search conducted on more than twenty students at Whitmore Lake High School in 2000 was unconstitutional.
> Full StoryACLU Announces 2003 Youth Activism College Scholarship Recipient
March 31, 2003 - Press Release
DETROIT – A Birmingham, MI high school senior has been chosen to receive a $4,000 college scholarship in recognition of his activist work in civil liberties, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today. The national scholarships were awarded to fourteen high school seniors from across the country.
> Full StoryAnnual National ACLU Youth Scholarship Awards
November 18, 2002 - Press Release
The national ACLU gives out ten awards of $4000 each to students around the country who have been active leaders or participants in a civil rights or civil liberties struggle. Submission information is located in the press release.
> Full StoryACLU Files Motion In case of Students' Right to Publish Underground Newspaper
October 2, 2002 - Press Release
Detroit - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a motion today asking a federal judge to order the South Lyon Community Schools to permit the distribution of a student newspaper entitled The First Amendment. The motion also asks the judge to order the school to expunge the records of three students who were suspended last spring for trying to distribute the paper.
> Full StoryACLU Sues South Lyon Community Schools for Suspending Student Authors
June 6, 2002 - Press Release
Detroit. Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit in federal court against the South Lyon Community Schools for suspending two students who wrote a newspaper entitled The First Amendment. The school suspended the students for five days.
> Full StoryACLU Youth Scholarship Awards
November 15, 2001 - Press Release
The national ACLU gives out ten awards of $4,000 each to students around the country who have been active leaders or participants in a civil rights or civil liberties struggle.
> Full StoryCourt Asked to Strike Down High School Drug Testing Policy
June 5, 2001 - Press ReleaseFLINT - To stop Grand Blanc High School's drug testing program, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a motion on Tuesday in an on-going lawsuit asking that the Genesee County Circuit Court rule the school's policy a violation of the Michigan Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
> Full StoryFenton High School Senior Wins ACLU College Scholarship for Youth Activism
May 22, 2001DETROIT - - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today announced that Alec Gibbs of Fenton Senior High School is one of 12 high school seniors nationwide to be awarded a $4,000 college scholarship in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the struggle to defend civil liberties.
> Full StorySix University Student Assemblies File Suit to Prevent Implementation of New Law
February 24, 2000 - Press Release
Lansing-- Today, representatives from six university student assemblies announced the filing of a lawsuit to challenge Public Act 118 which requires that a person's driver's license address and voter registration address be the same.
