News & Commentary

Today, the third report from the monitor appointed to oversee the settlement agreement at the troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons was filed in federal court. 

 In 4th grade, I was nearing the end of the school year, and I had decided to wear my favorite pair of bright purple shorts to school. As I headed to class, I was pulled aside by my teacher. She asked me, “Honey, do you have a change of clothing in your locker?” Like any nine year-old girl would, I looked at her in confusion. I didn’t understand what the problem was. As a teenager, I now see that my prepubescent body wearing shorts on a hot day was, in her perception, a “taboo”. This was the first of many times that I would be taken aside and later even pulled out of class for wearing “inappropriate” or “provocativ

 Students will need to arrange to be at Marquette University (building and room to be announced) by 10 am every day of the Summer Justice Institute.  There may be transportation leaving from Urban Underground. Please let us know if you would want to leave and return from there. Bus passes for public transportation may be provided if needed. Lunch will be provided every day for students, please note in the attached permission forms if your child has any dietary restrictions.  Students will be released at 4 pm each day and are responsible for arranging transportation home.Find the application in the below PDF.  You can email the application back to edetorre@aclu-wi.org. 

Because of concern for resegregation of Milwaukee’s public schools, this week I attended a meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors on behalf of ACLU. Over the years I have been to many such meetings when the MPS Board has considered matters that affect the opportunity for an integrated education.  This week’s consideration of cutting or limiting bussing to the schools that were established in the late 1970’s and early 80’s to encourage voluntary integration was both encouraging and at the same time sobering.  The outpouring of support for integrated education was poignant and heart felt.  Parents, teachers, principals, and students testified about the diversity and inclusiveness that they fear they would lose if the district decided not to continue providing transportation to MPS specialty schools.  They testified about how the future of the French, German, Spanish and Italian immersion schools and the languages high school hangs in the balance.  Restricting support for children whose parents could not afford or provide transportation would lead to declined enrollment.  Decline in enrollment will reduce funds that support these highly successful schools.  Schools that attract students from Milwaukee’s suburbs as far away as West Bend would be weakened.

Bill Introduced Following Juvenile Law Center, ACLU of Wisconsin Class Action Civil Rights Lawsuit on Behalf of Youth

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.

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.

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.

Schools and Communities United, a coalition of 22 community, labor, religious, student and civic organizations in Milwaukee, is proud to participate in a series of press events across the nation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and calling for an end to the takeover of public schools by private operators.