Every student has the right to learn in an environment where they feel valued and can think for themselves. This is a fundamental promise of our democracy, one the ACLU of Washington is committed to defending.
Knowing your rights is essential to protecting them. So, sharpen your pencils and get ready to take some notes!
This back-to-school season, we’ve compiled a list of resources to help equip students, parents, and teachers with the critical information they need to understand and protect their rights.
Note: resources reference federal law, unless noted as Washington-specific.
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Knowing your rights is essential to protecting them. So, sharpen your pencils and get ready to take some notes!
This back-to-school season, we’ve compiled a list of resources to help equip students, parents, and teachers with the critical information they need to understand and protect their rights.
Note: resources reference federal law, unless noted as Washington-specific.
JUMP TO:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Rights
- Disability Rights
- Dress Codes
- Free Speech
- Police
- Protest Rights
- Racial Discrimination
- Religious Freedom
- School Board Advocacy
- School-to-Prison-Pipeline
- Sex-Based Discrimination
- Teacher Rights
- Tribal Regalia
2SLGBTQIA+ Rights
- The Rights of Transgender People in Washington State
- Learn about our efforts to stop the implementation of Initiative 2081, which passed the Washington Legislature in March. The initiative contains vague language that changes important laws that protect youth privacy, and its implementation will result in harm to LGBTQ+ students, youth of color, and students from other marginalized backgrounds.
Disability Rights
Dress Codes
Free Speech
- Advocacy Tips to Change School Board Policies on Free Speech Issues
- Book Bans and the Right to Read in Washington
- Free speech comic of First Amendment Rights in school
- Listen to a podcast: What are My Speech Rights At School?
- Racial Justice and Free Speech Resources
Police
Protest Rights
- Student Political Speech, Protest, and Walkouts
- PSA to Student Protestors: You Have Rights
- Protest Rights and Safety Center
Racial Discrimination
- Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin-Based Discrimination
- Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education
- Racial Justice and Free Speech Resources
- Anti-DEI campaigns: backlash to racial reckoning
