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The following contact information is for the Kentucky affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. While you can contact the affiliate directly, you can also read about some of work that the affiliate is engaged in by clicking on one of the links on the left and right of this page.

ACLU of Kentucky
Executive Director: Michael Aldridge
315 Guthrie Street, Suite 300
Louisville, KY 40202-3820
Phone: 502-581-1181
Fax: 502-589-9687
Email: info@aclu-ky.org
Web site: www.aclu-ky.org

LATEST NEWS

ACLU Represents Students In Challenge To Sex Segregation In Kentucky Public School (05/19/2008)
LOUISVILLE, KY - On behalf of five families, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Kentucky filed an amended complaint in federal court today charging that segregating classes by sex in Breckinridge County Middle School is illegal and discriminatory. The ACLU's lawsuit expands a previous lawsuit filed by a private attorney against the Breckinridge County School District and other county entities to include the U.S. Department of Education.

ACLU Announces Multi-State Action Calling on Government to Fix Medical Inaccuracies in Federally Funded Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula (05/09/2007)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a multi-state action calling on the federal government to fix medical inaccuracies in federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula. Eleven ACLU affiliates sent letters to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alerting the agency to problematic curricula in their states and asking HHS to take steps to remedy the situation.

Supreme Court to Consider School Desegregation Plans (12/04/2006)
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will hear two cases today that will decide the fate of racial diversity in public schools, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a brief with the Court in both cases.

Federal Judge Blocks Kentucky Law Limiting Speech at Funerals (09/26/2006)
FRANKFORT, KY – A federal judge in Kentucky today issued a first-ever ruling prohibiting enforcement of a statewide ban on peaceful protests and non-disruptive speech near funerals. The court order comes in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, which argued that the state law went too far in restricting freedom of speech.

Federal Judge Rules Against School-Mandated Prayer at Kentucky High School Graduation Ceremony (05/19/2006)
LOUISVILLE, KY – The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky announced today that U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. has issued a temporary restraining order to prevent Russell County High School from including prayer during its graduation ceremony tonight.

ACLU of Kentucky Says Protest Ban at Funerals Restricts Free Speech (05/02/2006)
FRANKFORT, KY -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a federal lawsuit today challenging restrictions on freedom of speech and expression in two bills passed during the 2006 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

ACLU Asks Court to Uphold Kentucky School’s Training Aimed at Reducing Anti-Gay Harassment (12/20/2005)
ASHLAND, KY – The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court to dismiss the parts of a lawsuit aimed at shutting down a court-ordered anti-harassment training at a Kentucky school district, but agreed with the plaintiffs that the district’s earlier policy violated student free speech rights.

ACLU Study Finds Kentuckians are Being Denied the Right to Vote Because of Faulty Information (11/21/2005)
FRANKFORT, KY -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today released a study showing that alarming numbers of county and state officials provide inaccurate information to people with criminal convictions seeking restoration of their voting rights.

ACLU Asks Judge to Reopen Kentucky Gay-Straight Alliance Case (07/06/2005)
ASHLAND, KY -- The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal judge to reopen a lawsuit it brought two years ago on behalf of several students who had sought to form a gay-straight alliance (GSA) at Boyd County High School. In a motion filed today, the ACLU points to failures by the school district to keep up its end of the agreement to provide a mandatory training focused on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

ACLU Tells Federal Court That Mandatory Anti-Gay Harassment Training Does Not Violate Students' Freedom of Religion (04/28/2005)
ASHLAND, KY -- In papers filed today in federal court, the American Civil Liberties Union argues that requiring students to undergo a court-ordered anti-harassment training at Boyd County High School does not violate their rights to free exercise of religion. Today's filing is a response to a motion for preliminary injunction by a national conservative legal organization seeking to shut down an anti-harassment training ordered by a federal judge in an earlier ACLU case.

ACLU Asks Court to Let Students Join in Kentucky Anti-Gay Harassment Training Case (04/01/2005)
ASHLAND, KY - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court to let several former students join a Kentucky school district in fighting a lawsuit aimed at shutting down a court-ordered anti-harassment training. The school district agreed to implement the training last year after a federal judge found that there is a widespread problem with anti-gay harassment in the school, where students in an English class once stated that they needed to ""take all the fucking faggots out in the back woods and kill them."" The new lawsuit, brought by an anti-gay legal organization, claims that the training violates the free speech rights of students who are opposed to it.

ACLU Wins Settlement for Kentucky School's Gay-Straight Alliance (02/03/2004)
ASHLAND, KY - The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the end of a year-long lawsuit it brought on behalf of several students who had sought to form a gay-straight alliance (GSA) club at Boyd County High School. The settlement requires that the district treat all student clubs equally and conduct an anti-harassment training for all district staff as well as all students in high school and middle school.

ACLU of Kentucky Wins Appeal of Ten Commandments Postings in McCreary, Harlan, and Pulaski Counties (12/18/2003)
LOUISVILLE, KY -- Ten Commandments postings in three Kentucky counties manifest a religious purpose and are, therefore, unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled today in cases brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky on behalf of local residents.

ACLU Secures Victory for Gay-Straight Alliance at Kentucky High School (04/18/2003)
ASHLAND, KY - A federal court today ordered Boyd County High School, which shut down all school clubs in December in an attempt to silence community controversy over the school's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), to let the GSA as well as all other clubs start meeting again.

ACLU Blasts KY Board of Ed's Decision to Ban All School Clubs Rather Than Allow Gay-Straight Alliance (12/20/2002)
ASHLAND, KY - In an attempt to avoid a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Board of Education of Boyd County has decided to ban all school clubs in the district in an effort to shut down a recently formed Gay Straight Alliance in its high school.

Federal Appeals Court Dismisses Religious Challenge to Kentucky Gay Rights Ordinance (12/12/2002)
LOUISVILLE, KY -- A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit by a Kentucky doctor that sought to strike down a local ordinance making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

ACLU Responds to Student Protests Against Kentucky Gay-Straight Alliance (11/07/2002)
NEW YORK - Last week, officials at Boyd County High School in Ashland, Kentucky granted a seven-month-old request by students to start a Gay-Straight Alliance club at the school after the national American Civil Liberties Union and its Kentucky affiliate sent a letter explaining the school's legal obligation under the federal Equal Access Act to let the club form.

Federal Appeals Court Rejects KY's Ten Commandments Monument as Government-Endorsed Religion (10/09/2002)
CINCINNATI - A government plan to erect a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of Kentucky's state capitol ""impermissibly endorses religion,"" a federal appeals court ruled today in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky on behalf of a diverse coalition of religious leaders and citizens.

ACLU Tells School Council It Must Allow Gay-Straight Alliance (09/19/2002)
ASHLAND, KY -- After two denials of an application to form a Gay-Straight Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union has sent a letter to officials at Boyd County High School demanding that they approve creation of the club.

ACLU of Kentucky Lawsuit Challenges Exclusive $2 Million Government Program for Religious Groups (02/27/2002)
LOUISVILLE, KY--Acting on behalf of three local taxpayers, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a federally funded grant program that excludes any groups that are not affiliated with ""faith-based""organizations. 

ACLU of Kentucky Files Lawsuit Over Government-Endorsed Ten Commandments Postings in Four Counties (11/27/2001)
LOUISVILLE, KY--Displaying the Ten Commandments in schools and courthouses has the overwhelming effect of government endorsing religion, according to legal papers filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky in a challenge to postings of the Judeo-Christian text in the Garrard, Grayson, Mercer, and Rowan county courthouses. 

In Decision Highlighting Danger of Bush Faith-Based Plan, Court Says State-Funded Baptist Group Can Fire Lesbian (07/24/2001)
LOUISVILLE, KY - A federal court today said a taxpayer-funded Baptist agency could legally fire a lesbian, in a decision the American Civil Liberties Union called "a wake-up call" about the dangers posed by the White House's proposed "faith-based initiative." 

ACLU of Kentucky Launches Pocket Card Project to Prevent Student Harassment and Discrimination in Schools (06/25/2001)
LOUISVILLE, KY - The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, in partnership with the Hate Free Schools Coalition, today launched the Student Pocket Card Project to inform students of their right to attend schools free from harassment and discrimination. 

Kentucky Judge Again Orders Ten Commandments Displays in Schools and Courthouses Removed (06/22/2001)
LONDON, KY - In a victory for religious freedom, U.S. District Judge Jennifer B. Coffman ruled today that government-endorsed Ten Commandments displays in local Kentucky schools and courthouses violate the First Amendment and must be removed immediately. 

Louisville, Kentucky High School Senior is Among 12 Winners of ACLU College Scholarship for Youth Activism (05/23/2001)
LOUISVILLE, KY - - The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today announced that Jamie Snow of Ballard High School is one of 12 seniors nationwide to be awarded a $4,000 college scholarship in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the struggle to defend civil liberties. Kentucky. "As a young leader, Jamie is already shaping the future of Kentucky, and we are honored that we can play a part in helping her continue her education."

Federal Court Dismisses Religious Challenge to Gay Rights Law in 'Total Victory for Fairness' (03/21/2001)
LOUISVILLE, KY - In a resounding victory for civil rights laws in general -- and gay rights laws in particular -- a federal court late today dismissed a Kentucky doctor's lawsuit that sought to strike down a local ordinance which he claimed violated his religious liberties and free speech rights. 

ACLU of Kentucky Hails Two Free Speech Victories (01/05/2001)
Ruling en banc in what is being called a landmark case, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said that Kentucky State University officials violated the First Amendment when they confiscated and banned distribution of the school's student-produced yearbook. 

ACLU Applauds Louisville's New Racial Profiling Policy, Urges Additional Measures (12/05/2000)
LOUISVILLE, KY-- After two months of meetings with community representatives, the Louisville Division of Police announced today a policy and data collection plan to end racial profiling of motorists.

ACLU Demands Immediate End to Racial Profiling By KY Police Department (10/30/2000)
LOUISVILLE, KY --In coalition with more than 30 community and religious organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today demanded an end to police racial profiling practices, citing two studies by the Louisville Courier-Journal strongly suggesting that African American motorists are at least twice as likely as Caucasian motorists to be stopped by police officers.

ACLU and U.S. Dept. of Justice Ask Court to Dismiss Challenge to Anti-Gay Bias Law, Noting Broad Impact (08/15/2000)
LOUISVILLE, KY -- In what has become the national focal point of the debate over whether personal religious beliefs trump local civil rights laws, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked a state court to dismiss a challenge to Louisville's Fairness Ordinance - and for the first time in history, the U.S. Department of Justice stepped forward to lend its support to a law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Appeals Court Finds Kentucky Abortion Ban Unconstitutional (07/31/2000)
LOUISVILLE, KY - Taking its lead from the Supreme Court's ruling last month in Stenberg v. Carhart, a federal appeals court today upheld a lower court's decision striking down Kentucky's ban on so-called "partial-birth abortion."

Kentucky Cannot Erect Ten Commandments, Judge Rules (07/25/2000)
FRANKFORT, KY -- A federal judge on Tuesday prohibited the state from erecting a monument to the Ten Commandments on the Capitol grounds, saying it would amount to government endorsement of religion, the Associated Press reported.

ACLU of Kentucky Files Suit to Stop Placement of Ten Commandments Monument on Capitol Grounds (07/10/2000)
FRANKFORT, KY--Seeking to halt an unconstitutional government plan to place a monument of the Ten Commandments on state property here, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of four members of the clergy from diverse religious communities.

ACLU Enters Court at 'Ground Zero' in National Debate Over Religious Freedom and Anti-Gay Discrimination Laws (05/31/2000)

Groups File Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against Kentucky and State-Funded Religious Group That Fired Lesbian Employee (04/17/2000)
LOUISVILLE, KY - In a first-of-its-kind case that may change the landscape of the national debate over whether religious groups that discriminate should receive taxpayer funds, the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State today filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a publicly-funded religious organization that fired a lesbian employee.

Previewing National Battle, ACLU Backs Fairness Campaign In Bid to Protect Non-Discrimination Ordinance (12/13/1999)
LOUISVILLE, KY-- After finally triumphing in a decade-long battle to pass city- and county-wide sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination laws, the Fairness Campaign, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, today began to fight off a man's claim that the measures violate his religious liberty.

ACLU Challenges Posting of Ten Commandments In Kentucky's Schools and Courthouses (11/18/1999)
LOUISVILLE, KY -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today filed three lawsuits challenging the posting of the Ten Commandments in the Harlan County public schools and in the McCreary and Pulaski County courthouses.

ACLU Settles Kentucky Case of Pregnant Teens Denied Entry to Honor Society (10/22/1999)
COVINGTON, KY - A settlement between two teen mothers and the school district that denied them membership in the National Honor Society will pay the women $999 plus attorney's fees, the Associated Press reported today.

ACLU Says Kentucky's 1975 School Desegregation Decree Should Not Be Set Aside (09/13/1999)
LOUISVILLE, KY -- Responding to a court challenge to a 1975 school desegregation order, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today said that the order should not be set aside because the promise of equal education has not yet been fully realized.

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