News Releases

The ACLU of Washington has decided not to appeal the April 10, 2012 ruling by the U.S. District Court in Spokane against library patrons’ challenge of the Internet filtering policy of a regional library system. While the ACLU supports the American Library Association’s position that public libraries should not filter Internet content for patrons, the current facts in the case do not support an effective appeal.

The ACLU of Washington has decided not to appeal the April 10, 2012 ruling by the U.S. District Court in Spokane against library patrons’ challenge of the Internet filtering policy of a regional library system. While the ACLU supports the American Library Association’s position that public libraries should not filter Internet content for patrons, the current facts in the case do not support an effective appeal.

To ensure that reforms to the Seattle Police Department are fully implemented and long-lasting, the City needs speedily to agree to a consent decree with the Department of Justice that includes a monitor and court oversight. It's clear that the problems within the police department have been so ingrained that our city can't fix them without outside help.

The ACLU-WA has joined the legal team representing Working Washington in its lawsuit challenging Sound Transit’s refusal to run an ad promoting good jobs for low-income workers at Sea-Tac Airport.

Represented by the ACLU-WA and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, three residents of the Olympic Peninsula have filed a class-action lawsuit challenging the U.S. Border Patrol's practice of stopping vehicles and interrogating occupants without legal justification. People are being stopped based solely on their appearance and ethnicity. This is unlawful and contrary to American values.

Since 2008, our community members have been going through difficult times due to the racial profiling by Border Patrol agents in our area. We acknowledge the importance of this agency and their job of protecting our borders. We also recognize that some agents have gone beyond their boundaries, showing a lack of professionalism and unethical behavior.

The City of Seattle needs to develop clear and transparent policies for the use of aerial drones as a tool in law enforcement, the ACLU of Washington said today. Guidelines are needed to protect personal privacy against improper use of drones and to ensure that government does not use the technology to engage in surveillance of political activity.

A Thurston County Superior Court judge today approved ballot title language for Referendum 74, a measure that asks voters to approve or reject the law permitting civil marriage for same-sex couples passed by the 2012 Legislature.

Text messaging, chats, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, and a host of other new avenues raise both new and old questions about legal rights. Now the ACLU-WA has published the first-ever guidebook laying out the rights of Washington public school students in using electronic communications devices.

The U.S. District Court in Seattle has rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the cities of Mt. Vernon and Burlington over their failure to provide legal representation to poor people accused of misdemeanors. The court also granted the case class-action status.