Student Rights

12.04.19

The “Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act” Explained

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

In March 2019, House Bill 164 aka “The Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act,” was introduced.  In November, it passed the Ohio House and is now on its way to the Senate.

Recently, HB 164 has received lots of statewide and national attention. 

09.06.19

Campus Activism: Young Activists Cultivating Long-Lasting Skills

By Emma Keeshin

College students in the United States have a rich history of participating in activism work to make their voices heard.  In the campus setting, students have a favorable atmosphere to gather with peers based on a common interest relating to various social, political, or environmental issues, and these issues often intersect. 

03.09.18

Opinion: The Students are Right — Taking Action on Gun Violence Does Not Violate the Second Amendment

By Celina Coming

*This piece originally appeared in the Sun Sentinel on March 2, 2018 and was written by the ACLU of Florida’s Executive Director, Howard Simon and Political Director Kirk Bailey.*

After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the world wept “not again,” routine talking points were dusted off, and thoughts and prayers rolled in.

03.05.18

To Be Obedient, or To Be Disobedient, That Is The Question

By Emma Keeshin

One of the most important rights we have in our democracy is the right to speak out on issues we care about. After 17 high school students and teachers were killed in Parkland, Florida on February 14, gun regulation quickly became one of the most discussed issues in the public sphere, and many students around the country began to speak out.

12.23.16

Curbing School Harassment

By James Kosmatka

In the weeks following the election, reported incidents of harassment in schools have skyrocketed. Students have been targeted as the result of their race, religion, sexuality, and gender identity, echoing the hateful and divisive campaign rhetoric of the past year. Given the impact that harassment can have on students’ education and mental health, schools must take seriously their legal obligation to “provide a nondiscriminatory environment that is conducive to learning” for all students.

02.26.16

Disability Rights Ohio calls for Enforcement of Ohio Department of Education Rule on Restraint and Seclusion

By Shakyra Diaz

Last year thousands of Ohio students were restrained or secluded in school, placing them at risk of injury and trauma. This happened despite a rule that was put in place specifically to stop this practice.

In 2013, upon the urging of Disability Rights Ohio, the ACLU of Ohio, and other advocates, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) established a rule limiting the use of restraint and seclusion in Ohio schools to situations where there is an imminent risk of physical harm.

01.15.16

Discrimination Shouldn’t Be Part of the Dress Code

By Cassie Chenoweth

Cassie Chenoweth is a high school intern with the ACLU of Ohio.

While many people around the world are rightly taking a stand against discrimination based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, among others, we sometimes miss how discrimination works through cultural elements like vernacular or clothing style.

09.21.15

Racial Segregation in Schools Still Exists

By Steve David

The monumental events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s gave hope to many African-Americans who desired an end to racial segregation and discrimination. The abolishment of Jim Crow laws ended the implementation of laws that supported racial segregation in Southern states.

09.07.15

Seclusion and Restraint Guidelines Now Apply to Ohio’s Charter Schools

By Shakyra Diaz

This school year, all of Ohio’s public school children now have the same rights and protections when it comes to the use of seclusion and restraints. It’s been three years in the making.

Investigative Reporting

In August 2012, The Columbus Dispatch and StateImpact Ohio, a collaborative of Ohio NPR stations WCPN, WKSU, and WOSU, launched, “Locked Away,” an investigation into restraint and seclusion practices in Ohio schools.

07.17.15

A Victory for Transparency

By Shakyra Diaz

Photo by Supreme Court of Ohio

For a person paying thousands upon thousands of dollars a year to a university, which has the responsibility to mold and educate them, transparency might seem like a simple request. However, for many private institutions across the country and in Ohio, right-to-know standards have not been the norm.

05.29.15

Breaking Up the School-to-Prison Pipeline

By Shakyra Diaz

School provides youth with the necessary skills to develop and mature into adults and citizens, or so we’ve been told by our parents as soon as we were old enough to attend.

Unfortunately, school administrators have hindered this mission by inappropriately disciplining students for nonviolent behavior.

04.03.15

Ohio’s Voting Record: Ready to Strike Out or Hit a Grand Slam?

By Lisa Wurm

It’s indisputable that voting is critical for Ohioans.

We strive to make our communities a better place to live and to ensure that our democracy works for everyone. However, to do this, all our votes are crucial—for Ohio and the entire nation.

12.19.14

Sunset at the Statehouse

By Shakyra Diaz

As the end of the year approaches, what went on in the final days of the 130^th Ohio General Assembly?

When last I wrote about the Ohio legislature’s “lame duck” session, I provided updates on the so-called Heartbeat Bill and the lethal injection bill.

12.01.14

Close the Loophole: Protect Charter Schoolchildren From Restraint and Seclusion

By Shakyra Diaz

Update – 12/17/2014: Ohio Senate Bill 266 was amended to House Bill 178 and passed unanimously, extending the seclusion and restraint provisions of rule 3301-35-15 to public charter schools.

Last month the Ohio Department of Education released its first analysis of the use of restraint and seclusion in Ohio schools.

09.25.14

Books and Ballots: Voting Rights For Students

By Steve David

As the summer draws to a close, thousands of students have packed their bags to return to college campuses across the state. Among questions about professors to take, how late you can wait to drop a class, and if you can really afford that textbook, is one they may not have not considered: How are you going to cast your ballot in November?

09.06.14

What Is Shackling?

By Shakyra Diaz

This is the first in a series of posts on the topic of juvenile shackling.

‘Shackling has made me feel like an animal, and it makes me feel like I can’t express myself. It is a distraction to me because rather than focusing on what I have to say, I’m focused on what other people are thinking of me, and on avoiding body movements that are painful and uncomfortable because of the shackles.

09.03.14

From Tinker Test to Tinker Tour

By Adrienne Gavula

“It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”  -Justice Abe Fortas

Mary Beth Tinker has continued to advocate for students’ First Amendment rights since she was the lead plaintiff in the 1969 landmark U.S.

07.17.14

Juvenile Justice: The Return on Investment

By Shakyra Diaz

This is the eighth in a series of posts focusing on issues we will be tackling at the 2014 ACLU of Ohio biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights!

We have all heard the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’  I would like to add, ‘It takes a village to fail a child.’

As a society, we are very quick to take credit for any contribution we have made in the life of a successful young person.

05.12.14

Children Are Still Not Safe from Seclusion in Ohio Charter Schools

By Shakyra Diaz

It has been more than a year since the Ohio State Board of Education (BOE) restricted the use of seclusion and restraint in Ohio public schools, yet charter schools are still permitted to operate outside the rules.

Now, a piece of state legislation aims to hold these schools to the same rules that govern other taxpayer-funded educational institutions.

01.16.14

Let’s Teach Our Children to be Good Students and Stop Training Them for Prison

By Shakyra Diaz

A few months ago a ninth grade student told me, “I don’t even know what a real school feels like. My school feels and looks like a prison.”

In the last 20 years schools and schools climates have adopted harsh disciplinary policies.

10.15.13

We’re going purple!

By Melissa Bilancini

On October 17, ACLU of Ohio staff will be dressed in purple for Spirit Day, a national day against bulling and in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth.

We’re not the only ones going purple. Betty White, everyone’s favorite Golden Girl, will be “Betty Purple” on October 17.