News & Commentary

The Fight for Every American’s Vote to be Counted Continues.

Today, Western District Judge Peterson found that the use of solitary confinement, pepper spray and restraints at two juvenile facilities in Wisconsin violate youths’ constitutional rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.  The court ordered the parties to propose the terms of a preliminary injunction to end the inhumane conditions and practices within two weeks of today’s order.  The suit was originally filed in January on behalf of youth confined in the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and the Copper Lake School for Girls. Yesterday and today, the ACLU of Wisconsin and Juvenile Law Center, with pro-bono assistance from Quarles & Brady argued in the Western District Court that children incarcerated at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake needed immediate relief while the case was being litigated.

We are witnessing a moment of national attention on policing, from discussions about racial profiling, over-reliance on police to solve social, educational, and public health issues, and widespread examples of excessive uses of force.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Medicaid Services P.O. Box 309 Madison, WI 53707-0309 Transmitted electronically only: Wisconsin1115CLAWaiver@dhs.wisconsin.gov

The Chippewa Valley ACLU Chapter supports educational freedom in controversy over book and in-class discussion of Islam. There is a public forum discussing this issue at 7:00pm at Menomonie High School, on Monday, May 15, 2017.

The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Wisconsin issued a nationwide travel alert today informing anyone planning to travel to Texas in the near future to anticipate the possible violation of their constitutional rights when stopped by law enforcement.

The ACLU of Wisconsin urges Prairie du Sac parents concerned about censorship and free expression to attend tonight’s school board meeting, or to express their support for the district’s parent-teacher review panel. The panel was formed in response to a controversy over the book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie, and they recommended keeping it in the school curriculum.

With the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court today, do you wonder, “What does this mean for resistance to threats to civil rights and liberties? What can we do?”

Resurrecting the failed “scared straight” mentality, Wauwatosa police are threatening to use dogs to search Tosa East students and use kids’ phones to implicate their friends in marijuana use. Rather than intervene in the lives of children and students via counseling, parents or guidance, Wauwatosa Police have announced their intention to increase the number of police dog searches of lockers, classrooms and vehicles parked on school grounds and in the neighborhood.