News Releases

In October 2003 the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the City of Seattle can bar political candidates from mentioning their opponents in the City's voter pamphlet. The decision reversed a trial court ruling that found the ban was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

The mayors of Kent and Seattle overstepped the line separating religion and government when they issued official proclamations designating November 22-29, 1998 as "Bible Week," said ACLU-WA Legislative Director Jerry Sheehan, when he learned of the actions.

The ACLU-WA and Kent School District in November reached an out-of-court settlement in the lawsuit filed by former student Mark Iversen. Iversen filed suit against the school district in 1997, alleging it did not respond adequately to incidents of harassment based on his perceived sexual orientation.

A member of the military, a retired Presbyterian minister, and a college student are among seven U.S. citizens who have joined the first nationwide, class-action challenge to the government’s “No-Fly” list filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Civil libertarians held the line against efforts to enact overly broad laws as the Washington Legislature adjourned without passing proposed anti-terrorism measures.

A federal court has ruled that Seattle Schools may use race as one of several tiebreaking factors in assigning students to schools. The ACLU filed amicus briefs supporting the case.

Washington joins Maine, Idaho, Arkansas and Montana in adopting measures to reject REAL ID, a new federal identification system that would create a de facto national ID card.

On September 12, 2008, in Tukwila, Washington, over 250 people took the oath to become naturalized U.S. citizens—in time to vote in the November elections. The ceremony is the result of a class action lawsuit brought by The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, and the law firms of Stoel Rives and Ropes and Gray.

The American Civil Liberties Union today filed suit over inhumane conditions for prisoners at the Jefferson County Jail in Port Hadlock.

As Seattle neared "N30," the one-year anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) protests on November 30th, free speech advocates held our collective breath in hopes that the City would "get it right" this time by dealing properly with protest activities. Responding to saber-rattling comments by some officials, the ACLU urged the City to respect free speech rights, and we readied our Web site report form to receive complaints of police misconduct.