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American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)5 posts
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1971

Establishes ACLU Women’s Rights Project

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Ginsburg establishes the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. This was the major, and sometimes the only, national legal arm of the growing movement for gender equality, recognized as the spokesperson for women’s interests in the Supreme Court, and the “premier” representative of women’s rights interests in that forum. The Project works to enforce women’s statutory rights, including the rights to equal employment opportunities guaranteed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act6 and the Equal Pay Act. Early cases challenge the constitutionality of sex discrimination, specifically measuring the constitutionality of sex-based classifications and striking down discriminatory Social Security regulations.

18 Sep, 2015

Accused of altering forms

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The attorney for Brian Mason, one of Davis’ deputy clerks, says he believes Davis has again violated her federal court order by altering marriage license forms by removing her name, making Mason initial the form instead of sign it, and then requiring the form to be notarized. The attorney says it is “really bizarre” that Davis would alter the forms.

A notary has nothing to do with it. Unless she’s got a really good reason, and I’ll certainly be patient and wait to hear it, the only inference I personally can draw from it is she is trying to circumvent the court’s order.

In a separate filing, ACLU attorneys for the gay couples who sued Davis say that the changes on the form require Mason to issue the licenses “in his capacity as a ‘notary public’ rather than a deputy clerk of the Rowan County Clerk’s Office,” changes that “do not comply” with the court’s order to not interfere with her employees who issue the licenses.

These alterations call into question the validity of the marriage licenses issued. Plaintiffs are exploring legal options to address these material alterations.

11 Jan, 2016

Ferguson school district sued

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Resident activists file suit against the Ferguson-Florissant School District and the St. Louis County Board of Elections under the Voting Rights Act. Plaintiffs allege that the existing at-large system dilutes neighborhood power in areas with black-majority students. According to court documents, the plaintiffs say:

Despite the fact that African-Americans are almost half of the School District’s population and are a substantial majority of its students, there has never been adequate representation of African-Americans on the Board.

The defendants contend that the Ferguson-Florissant School District has an adequate history of minority representation under the current system.

29 Jan, 2017

Federal court issues stay on immigration order

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The federal court for the Eastern District of New York issues a stay after two of 12 refugees held at JFK airport were released, after 14 and 24 hours respectively. The ACLU had filed a petition on their behalf, but the stay is effective nationwide. Under the stay, none of the travelers held at airports across the nation can be sent back. However, the measure doesn’t mean they have to be allowed into the country – leaving them in a legal grey area. A senior Homeland Security official says that roughly 375 travelers affected by the executive order. Out of the 375, 109 were in transit to the US and denied entry. Another 173 people were stopped by airlines from boarding an aircraft to the US. An additional 81 travelers with green cards or special immigrant visas received waivers.

2 Feb, 2017

Twitter staff donate $1m against Trump immigration order

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Nearly 1,000 Twitter employees donate more than $500,000, to the American Civil Liberties Union, to fight Trump’s temporary ban on refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. The donations are matched by CEO Dorsey and Chairman Kordestani. Twitter lawyer:

Our work is far from done. In the coming months we’ll see a flurry of legal challenges, legislative pushes and public pronouncements. But as long as civil liberties are threatened, I’m proud to know that as individuals we will stand up to defend freedom and look after people.