In a victory for free speech and religious liberty, the After School Satan Club (ASSC) held its first meeting tonight at B.M. Williams Primary School, despite efforts by some to shut down the club and prevent it from gaining equal access to school facilities.

The ACLU of Virginia filed a motion seeking leave to file an amicus curiae brief in the Circuit Court for the city of Richmond in support of Connor Bleakley and Sami Alsawaf calling on the court to strike down the fee and residency requirements in Virginia Code 20-25 as unconstitutional.  

On August 30, 2022, a judge rejected an effort to label two books as obscene and illegal to sell or lend in the state of Virginia. “The First Amendment protects literary expression, even when some people find portions of the works difficult or objectionable," said Matt Callahan.

The ACLU-VA  opposes the VDOE's proposed model policies that will only exacerbate an alarming trend toward classroom censorship, all while denying students the opportunity to be inspired by stories of people from all walks of life trying to live authentically in school curriculum.

The ACLU of Virginia filed an amicus brief in support of West Point School Board against a teacher who refused to call a trans student by the correct pronouns. It's the teacher's job to provide an inclusive environment for all students. Free speech is not an excuse to discriminate.

The governor amended a controversial bill that would lift the ban on the use of facial recognition technology without a warrant by local law enforcement agencies. The governor’s amendments did nothing to address the many concerns voiced by a broad range of advocates.

Gov. Youngkin signed into law Senate Bill 656 (SB 656), which would give parents the authority to prevent their children from learning material deemed “sexually explicit content.” While the bill is lauded by some as parental choice, its true intent and impact is classroom censorship.

In principle, we oppose any use of facial recognition software by law enforcement. When used by police in criminal investigations, facial recognition technology can, and has, led to wrongful arrests and civil rights violations.