Student Rights

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.

09.11.15

Teen Health Guide Now Online

By Dan Rogan

The ACLU of Ohio has a substantial history working with adolescents, whether through our internship program, mentoring relationships, or ongoing campaigns, such as health rights.

Over a decade ago, the ACLU of Ohio launched the publication, “Your Health and the Law: A Guide for Teens,” also known as the teen health guide.

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.

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?

09.24.14

You Are Never Too Young To Ask For an Attorney

By Shakyra Diaz

“We are only 14 years old. We aren’t thinking about lawyers,” a teen declared in the middle of a presentation I was giving at his high school.

The topic of the presentation is based on the ACLU of Ohio’s publication What To Do If You’re Stopped By the Police.

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.