Latest From ACLU of Washington

After a solid year of traveling over 25,000 miles across 41 states and speaking to at least 100 schools and community groups, on May 1st the Tinker Tour made its final stop at Mountlake Terrace High School. The tour features First Amendment advocate Mary Beth Tinker, the namesake of the landmark student rights case Tinker v. Des Moines.... 

Some good news: A recent federal court ruling in Oregon is spurring Washington counties to stop holding immigrants in their jail past the time they are eligible for release. The court found that detainer requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are just that – optional requests – and sheriffs could be liable for violating an individual’s constitutional rights by continuing to hold the person.

A year ago, Clive Pontusson made a New Year’s resolution to start volunteering, and he has been volunteering at our front desk ever since. He thinks it is really important to volunteer a portion of your time, especially for a cause you believe in. The ACLU was on his radar because of its leadership role in the R-74 campaign for marriage equality, which Clive thinks will be the defining issue for our era.

The ACLU of Washington has been working with allies to replace suspensions and expulsions with smarter, more effective forms of discipline.  According to new data from our friends at Washington Appleseed, students of color, students in special education programs, and students from lower-income families receive suspensions and expulsions at a higher rate than other students for similar misbehavior.