News Archive

6.5.09
Latest Civil Liberties Update Available

• White House seeks to keep photos secret by amending FOIA
• Army general denounces prisoner abuse as a war crime
• Brookline joins Cambridge in opposing DHS-funded cameras

This and much more in our latest Civil Liberties Update.

6.3.09
Brookline Rejects Homeland Security Surveillance Cameras
ACLU worked with Brookline PAX, local residents on risks of increased government surveillance of lawful activities
News release (PDF)

6.3.09
ACLU, Allies Weigh in on Boston School Rezoning Proposal
In advance of a Boston School Committee meeting tonight about proposed busing rezoning, the ACLU and allies submitted recommendations to Superintendent Carol Johnson.
Recommendations (PDF) | Executive Summary (PDF)

5.28.09
ACLU Honors Capt. James Yee, Muslim former U.S. Army Chaplain at Guantanamo
28th Annual Bill of Rights Dinner speaker lineup includes Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation; comedian Baratunde Thurston; and human rights activist Kerry Kennedy
News Release (PDF) | 2009 Bill of Rights Dinner

5.27.09
ACLU Goes to Court in Case of South African Scholar Banned from U.S.
Professor Adam Habib Among Many Writers and Scholars Denied Entry on Basis of Political Views
News release (PDF)

5.14.09
Court Orders Release Of Documents In Double-Bunking Case
Massachusetts Department of Corrections must reveal how it classifies maximum-security inmates for double cells
News release (PDF) | Legal documents

5.6.09
Unchecked Access To Private Data Doesn't Stop With Celebrities
Statement by Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts
News release (PDF)

4.30.09
"First Amendment Minutes" Detail Civil Liberties Issues
Listen to these podcasts on a range of ACLU issues, recorded by ACLU Western Massachusetts legal director Bill Newman, and broadcast on WHMP from Northampton.

4.27.09
ACLU Files Suit Demanding Documents About Double-Bunking at Maximum Security Prison
Doubling up at prison in Shirley, Mass., is reportedly leading to violence.
News release (PDF) | Legal documents

4.13.09
ACLU of Massachusetts Condemns Cancellation of "Controversial" Speakers at Massachusetts Campuses
Following talk-radio criticism, Boston College cancelled a lecture by University of Illinois education professor William Ayres scheduled for March 30, 2009. And in April, Clark University in Worcester cancelled a talk by Norman Finkelstein, a scholar of the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Letter to Boston College, March 30, 2009 (PDF)

Letter to Clark University, April 10, 2009 (PDF)

"Support Academic Freedom at BC" (external website)

4.1.09
ACLU Suit Charges Lawrence Police with Inhumane Treatment of Arrestee
Police beat and stripped naked an Essex County resident in jail cell
News Release (PDF): English | Spanish - Complaint (PDF)

3.12.09
ACLU of Massachusetts Will Monitor Implementation of New Caritas-Centene Health Plan to Ensure Access to Family Planning Services
Organization calls on Health Connector to monitor as well.
News Release (PDF)

3.03.09
Listen to 2009 Conference Podcast
Author and Salon.com columnist Glenn Greenwald gave the keynote speech at our 2009 Statewide Conference, "Beyond the Politics of Fear." You can stream or download the podcast (30 minutes, MP3, 28 MB) of his speech to listen on computers or MP3 players, and it's also available for free via iTunes.

2.03.09
Cambridge City Council Votes Unanimously to Oppose Surveillance Cameras
ACLU praises first-in-the-state vote to reject Homeland Security monitoring
News Release (PDF)

1.20.09
Worcester County Chapter of ACLU of Massachusetts Receives Peace Award
News Release (PDF)

1.12.09
ACLU Asks Court To Stop Misuse Of Taxpayer Dollars In Trafficking Victims Program
News Release

12.18.08
Report reveals unwarranted detention of Mass. youth
Invest in programs aimed at reducing need for detention rather than in jails, say ACLU and Children’s Law Center Of Massachusetts
News Release (PDF) | Background: Locking Up Our Children

12.17.08
Latest Civil Liberties Update available
Will secrets about warrantless surveillance be revealed after Barack Obama is sworn in? Did you know that employees have successfully sued the factory that was the site of an ICE raid? Or that residents of Brookline and other municipalities are organizing against surveillance cameras? Learn about these things and many, many more through our latest Civil Liberties Update.

12.10.08
ACLU report blasts violations of basic rights for hundreds of immigrants detained in Massachusetts
First-of-its-kind study details poor jail conditions, denial of medical care and
violations of due process against immigrants held for months without being accused of a crime
News Release | Comunicado de Prensa | Details

12.08.08
Federal Court in Boston rules Bush administration must justify scholar’s visa denial
ACLU hails victory, says U.S. must end censorship at the border
News Release

11.26.08
The latest issue of the ACLU of Massachusetts newsletter, The Docket, is in the mail now to our members statewide
An electronic copy is available online, along with live links to online resources mentioned in the articles.

11.18.08
ACLU of Massachusetts shares recognition for marriage equality work
Amid legal struggle and nationwide protests against antigay Prop 8 in California, the Boston History & Innovation Collaborative honors organizations that established -- and defend -- equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
News Release

10.14.08
Executive power grabs continue
The Bush Administration may be on its way out, but its power grabs and violations of rights go on. In recent weeks:

• The White House has sought to make "war on terror" powers perpetual;
• Whistleblowers revealed that the NSA has routinely listened to the private conversations of American citizens, including journalists, overseas military personnel, and international aid workers;
• The FBI's powers have been broadened to the realm of "anticipating and preventing" crimes instead of simply investigating them.

You'll find details about these developments -- and many more -- in our latest Civil Liberties Update.

9.23.08
Court rules that Libertarian Party nominees must be placed on Massachusetts ballot
Massachusetts Elections Division procedure for substitution of actual nominees for President and Vice President faulted
News Release | Preliminary Injunction | Memorandum & Order

9.17.08
When Checks and Balances Fail
Video clips that accompanied the ACLU's discussion on media coverage of civil liberties issues in the 2008 election

8.28.08
State Police return DNA sample
Class action lawsuit brought by ACLU of Massachusetts continues for return or destruction of genetic profiles gathered during investigation of Worthington murder in 2002.
News Release

8.22.08
ACLU of Massachusetts thanks Sen. Kennedy for leadership against new powers for FBI to spy on American citizens
New York Times writes, "There is apparently no limit to the Bush administration’s desire to invade Americans’ privacy in the name of national security." ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose thanks Kennedy for leadership, warns of return to FBI abuses of the past.
Read Rose letter to Sen. Kennedy

8.19.08
ACLU Applauds Victory for Academic Freedom and First Amendment
In a case with national significance, a U.S. District Judge has rejected a gag order on MIT students who researched vulnerabilities in the MBTA's fare payment system.
News Release

8.12.08
Latest Civil Liberties Update available
Did you know?

• Children have been held at Guantánamo Bay
• Border officials can now confiscate your laptop or cell phone, or copy all your data, when you return to the country
• An appeals court has ruled that U.S. citizens can be declared "enemy combatants" and held indefinitely

These and other issues are explored in our latest Civil Liberties Update

8.11.08
ACLU of Massachusetts co-sponsors rally at American Psychological Association convention, protesting involvement in government sponsored torture
Saturday rally includes the ACLU, Amnesty International, and American Friends Service Committee.
Details

8.6.08
ACLU files suit to ensure franchise for Massachusetts voters
The ACLU of Massachusetts filed a suit today seeking a place for the Libertarian Party's correct candidates on the November ballot, which the Massachusetts Elections Division has refused to do.
News Release | Legal Complaint

7.17.08
"They could be eavesdropping"
Carol Rose, our executive director, has an op-ed in today's Boston Globe about a Massachusetts bill on the verge of giving unchecked power to district attorneys and the attorney general to request records of anyone's Internet use. They would simply need to ask for them in writing, with no warrant, and with no notification to the person whose records are being requested. Learn more and join a blog discussion of the issue here.

7.10.08
The ACLU plans to sue to block Congress' FISA cave-in
A preliminary statement from the national ACLU is available here, and you can join a local discussion of the issue here. With the exception of Sen. Kennedy, who was not present, the entire Massachusetts delegation voted to oppose this disgraceful move.

6.25.08
ACLU Challenges Government’s Ban On Renowned South African Scholar In Federal Court Today
In oral arguments, ACLU says U.S. is unfairly blocking exchange of ideas in this country.
News Release

6.19.08
ACLU of Massachusetts Files Suit to Stop 'Shadow' DNA Databases
Cape Cod men who voluntarily agreed to provide DNA samples in the investigation of the murder of Christa Worthington have brought suit seeking to prevent the State Police Crime Lab from keeping their DNA in a secret "shadow" DNA data bank.
News Release

6.17.08
Latest Civil Liberties Update available

Did you know?

• Body scanners that can see through clothing have been installed at 10 airports around the country
• The U.S. has a fleet of "floating prisons" for "ghost detainees" are held
• Anti-Americanism is at record levels
  

These and other issues are explored in the latest newsletter of our Civil Liberties Task Force, available here.

6.2.08
Head of National Black Police Association to challenge "Safe Homes" program of warrantless searches
News Release

5.29.08
ACLU of Massachusetts condemns Comcast in Nolan firing
CN8’s respected news host of "BackStage" was fired recently for expressing dismay that the Boston chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded a local Emmy to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly.
News Release

5.28.08
ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts honors Norma Shapiro, Wainwright Bank
Nixon White House Counsel John Dean, Humorist Kate Clinton, and Director Errol Morris to Headline 27th Annual Bill of Rights Dinner
News Release

5.12.08
ACLU Report Exposes Unjust Detention Of Youth
Pre-Trial Juvenile Lockup In Massachusetts Disproportionately Impacts Youth Of Color
See Locking Up Our Children

5.7.08
"Don't be manipulated."
The ACLU of Massachusetts is spreading the word about "Safe Homes" through this innovative new rap public service announcement. The so-called "Safe Homes" program is the Boston Police Department's effort asking people to "voluntarily" open their doors to warrantless searches of their homes for guns.
Download (62 seconds, MP3, 1.5 MB)

4.23.08
ACLU of Massachusetts Secures Victory for Freedom of Speech and Association
Case Against NAMBLA Members Dismissed With Prejudice
Statement

4.18.08
ACLU opens "Safe Homes" phone line
If you need information about the BPD's so-called "Safe Homes" program of warrantless searches -- or if you receive a "Safe Homes" visit -- please call 617-376-3776. You can also download our detailed briefing paper or our one-page fact sheets in English and Spanish.

4.17.08
Latest Civil Liberties Update available
The latest newsletter of our Civil Liberties Task Force is here.

4.17.08
ACLU of Massachusetts launches new "Wonk" podcast series
Why even try to deny it? We're wonks—and it's because we care about and want to know what's going on in this country. If you do, too, download our new "Wonk" podcasts.

4.10.08
Confronting the Surveillance Society
ACLU Policy Counsel and former FBI Special Agent Mike German, above, addressed our 2008 Conference, speaking with Executive Director Carol Rose on "Confronting the Surveillance Society: Real ID, NSA Spying, Warrantless Wiretapping, and Fusion Centers." You can hear their talk, and others, through our new "Wonk" podcast series.

3.7.08
International Human Rights Experts Denounce U.S. Record On Racial and Ethnic Discrimination
ACLU Applauds Recommendations and Demands Immediate Action --Report Coincides With First Anniversary of ICE Raid in New Bedford
Press Release

2.22.08
What is Wrong with the Boston Police 'Safe Homes' Initiative?
A lot. We've released a briefing paper with the title above.
Download

2.19.08
National ACLU releases "Transgender People and the Law"
"Know Your Rights" publication gives overview of legal issues for transgender people, including discrimination, family matters, and health care coverage. Link

1.31.08
Federal Appeals Court Says It's OK for School to Use Children's Books Encouraging Tolerance for Gay People
ACLU of Massachusetts filed friend of the court brief urging dismissal of the case
Press Release

1.25.08
ACLU of Massachusetts voices concern over punishment of Brandeis professor
Press Release

1.25.08
Ellsberg, Maddow to headline ACLU of Massachusetts Membership Conference
Amid 2008 election season, gathering will focus on "Reclaiming Our Civil Liberties," Saturday at Bentley College
Press Release

1.24.08
ACLU of Massachusetts Raises Concern About Latest Demonstration of Personal Data Vulnerability
Reported hacking of MassHealth web site illustrates problems with Fusion Center, Real ID
Press Release

1.22.08

Coalition for Choice Releases Roe @ 35
The Massachusetts Coalition for Choice, of which the ACLU of Massachusetts is a member, today released Roe @ 35: Reflections By Notable Champions of Choice in Massachusetts. The 35 essays' authors include Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley; Norma Shapiro, our Legislative Director; John Reinstein, our Legal Director; and Susan Yanow, Founding Executive Director of the Abortion Access Project, and an ACLU ofMassachusetts Board Member.



1.22.08

ACLU Marks 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Victory for Reproductive Freedom The National ACLU has created a web feature to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the US Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, called The World We Want. It includes video interviews, reflections on the meaning of Roe, and a look ahead at reproductive freedoms in the courts and Congress.



12.26.07

ACLU releases new version of "Know Your Rights" publication

What would you do if you were stopped, questioned, arrested, or searched by law enforcement officials? This updated, 24-page ACLU publication details your rights and provides other advice. Download (PDF)


12.19.07

ACLU Lauds Sens. Kennedy and Kerry for Leadership on Domestic Spy Battle Press Release

12.19.07

Debunking the "War on Christmas"

Every year the ACLU is wrongfully accused of waging a "War on Christmas." In this podcast, Jeremy Gunn, director of the national ACLU's Freedom of Religion and Belief Project, explains that what we really do is protect the rights of both believers -- including Christians -- and nonbelievers.

King Downing

Adam Habib

11.14.07

ACLU rebukes U.S. Government for maligning South African professor

Group renews legal challenge, says U.S. should either substantiate claims of terrorist activity or grant distinguished scholar's visa.

Press Release