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ACLU Sues Over Failed Privately-Run Alternative School In Atlanta (03/11/2008)
ATLANTA – In a case with national implications, the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Georgia filed a class action lawsuit today against the Atlanta Independent School System (AISS) and Community Education Partners (CEP) for violating students’ constitutional right to an adequate public education. CEP is a for-profit corporation paid nearly $7 million a year by the city to run its alternative school, which is among the most dangerous and lowest performing schools in Georgia.

ACLU Sues Over Failed Privately-Run Alternative School In Atlanta (03/11/2008)
ATLANTA – In a case with national implications, the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Georgia filed a class action lawsuit today against the Atlanta Independent School System (AISS) and Community Education Partners (CEP) for violating students’ constitutional right to an adequate public education. CEP is a for-profit corporation paid nearly $7 million a year by the city to run its alternative school, which is among the most dangerous and lowest performing schools in Georgia.

ACLU Asks Georgia Appeals Court to Dismiss Jail Sentence for Lesbian Mother (09/19/2007)
ATLANTA -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Georgia Court of Appeals to dismiss a county judge's contempt order and jail sentence against a lesbian mother. Earlier this year, Wilkinson County Judge John Lee Parrott ordered that the child Elizabeth Hadaway hopes to adopt be taken away for three months because Hadaway is a lesbian, and now Hadaway is battling an order from the same judge that she spend as many as ten days in jail.

ACLU Secures Return of Seven-Year-Old to Lesbian Mother in Georgia (05/21/2007)
ATLANTA – After almost three months, a seven-year-old girl has been reunited with the woman in whose care she’d thrived for almost a year before being sent to live in a crowded foster home. The child had been held in foster care by the Wilkinson County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) since February 20, when a judge took her away from her home after he learned that she was being raised by a lesbian.

ACLU Praises Decision To Overturn Georgia Tax Exemption For Certain Religious Texts (05/18/2007)
ATLANTA – The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today praised a decision by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia striking down two state sales and use tax exemptions. The provisions that were overturned Thursday applied only to certain religious texts and the court ruled that they were discriminatory on the basis of the content of the speech.

ACLU Asks Georgia Judge to Return Seven-Year-Old to Lesbian Mother (05/02/2007)
ATLANTA – In a hearing today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Wilkinson County Superior Court to return a vulnerable seven-year-old girl to the woman in whose care she had been thriving for a year. The county’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) has held the girl in foster care since February 20, when a judge took her away after he learned that she was being raised by a lesbian.

ACLU Hails Settlement in White County, Georgia Gay-Straight Alliance Case (01/10/2007)
ATLANTA, GA – The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with officials in White County, Georgia, whom they sued for refusing to allow a gay-straight alliance club (GSA) to meet on campus. The ACLU represents students in the club, who have been trying to meet at White County High School since January of 2005.

Georgia School Board Drops Defense of Anti-Evolution Stickers (12/19/2006)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Cobb County School Board to keep controversial “Evolution Disclaimer” stickers out of biology textbooks in public schools, ending a legal challenge that began in 2002.

Federal Court Says White County, Georgia School District Must Allow Gay-Straight Alliance to Meet (07/14/2006)
ATLANTA, GA — Today a federal judge issued a decision requiring White County High School to allow students in the gay-straight alliance club (GSA) to meet on campus. The decision was cheered by the American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the case on behalf of the students in the club.

ACLU Asks Federal Court to Force White County, Georgia School District to Stop Illegally Blocking Gay-Straight Alliance Club (06/12/2006)
ATLANTA, GA – Trial was held today in an American Civil Liberties Union federal lawsuit asking for a permanent injunction requiring officials at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia to recognize a gay-straight alliance club (GSA). Administrators at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia have been blocking the GSA from meeting since the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year while allowing other clubs to meet, a clear violation of the Federal Equal Access Act.

FBI Counterterrorism Unit Spies on Peaceful, Faith-Based Protest Group (05/04/2006)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia today released new evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is using counterterrorism resources to spy on peaceful faith- and conscience-based advocacy groups. School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch) and its multinational faith-based network is the latest organization uncovered by the ACLU to have been subject to Federal Bureau of Investigation counterterrorism surveillance.

ACLU of Georgia and Baptist Church File Religious Discrimination Lawsuit (04/19/2006)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, charging that the city of East Point, Georgia violated a federal religious discrimination law when it denied the church a zoning permit needed to establish its house of worship.

ACLU Reveals Proof of Racial Targeting in Major Meth Investigation (04/05/2006)
ROME, GA – The American Civil Liberties Union today unveiled evidence that a major police investigation into methamphetamine production unlawfully targeted South Asian convenience store owners and clerks based on race and national origin. In legal papers filed today, the ACLU asked a federal court to dismiss all remaining charges related to the controversial investigation in northwest Georgia, dubbed “Operation Meth Merchant.”

Civil Rights Groups Urge Department of Justice to Block New Georgia Photo ID Law (03/29/2006)
ATLANTA – In a letter sent yesterday to federal officials, more than two dozen civil rights, community, religious and citizen advocacy groups, along with a consortium of private attorneys, urged the U.S. Department of Justice to block implementation of the latest Georgia law requiring photo identification as an absolute condition for in-person voting.

ACLU Seeks Pentagon Files on Peace Groups (02/01/2006)
WASHINGTON -- In the wake of new evidence revealing Pentagon surveillance of peace groups and protest activities, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates across the country today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to uncover who is being spied on by the Pentagon and why.

ACLU Announces Defense of Indians Targeted in Meth Sting Operation (11/21/2005)
ROME, GA - In collaboration with the local community and a national South Asian organization, the American Civil Liberties Union today announced its defense of three convenience store owners and workers of Indian descent arrested for selling common household items that can be used in the production of methamphetamine. The ACLU promised a thorough investigation into claims that law enforcement selectively targeted the Indian community based on national origin and race.

In Victory for Voting Rights, Appeals Court Upholds Decision in Georgia Photo ID Case (10/27/2005)
ATLANTA - Less than two weeks before Election Day, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld a court decision blocking a controversial state law from taking effect that would have dramatically restricted the types of photo identification that may be used when voting.

Voting Rights Advocates Hail Court Decision in Georgia Photo ID Case (10/18/2005)
ATLANTA - In a major victory for Georgia voters, a federal judge today blocked a controversial new law that dramatically restricts the types of photo identification that may be used when voting. The decision is in effect while a legal challenge to the law, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of voting rights advocates, continues.

Homeland Security Officials Wrongly Arrested Peaceful Protesters in Georgia, Charges ACLU (09/22/2005)
ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two vegan protesters who were subjected to false imprisonment, false arrest and harassment by officials of the Homeland Security Division of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County Police Department.

Voting Rights Advocates Challenge Georgia Photo ID Law in Federal Court (09/19/2005)
ROME, GA - A consortium of voting rights advocates and private attorneys filed a lawsuit today in federal district court challenging House Bill 244, which the groups charge violates the state and federal constitutions, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

ACLU Condemns U.S. Justice Department Decision to Approve Georgia Photo ID Law (08/26/2005)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union today sharply criticized a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to approve a new Georgia law that voting rights advocates say will discriminate against minority voters. The measure, H.B. 244, which was passed on March 31 and signed by Governor Sonny Perdue in April, reduces the various forms of identification that voters can use from 17 to six, and makes government-issued photo identification absolutely required in order to vote.

Georgia County Agrees to Remove Ten Commandments Display from Courthouse (07/19/2005)
ATLANTA--A federal judge today approved an order proposed jointly by Barrow County and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia requiring the removal of a Ten Commandments display from the county courthouse.

Civil Rights Groups Urge Justice Department to Block Georgia Photo ID Law (07/08/2005)
ATLANTA -- More than two dozen civil rights, religious, labor and advocacy groups urged the Department of Justice to block implementation of a new Georgia law which they say will have a substantially negative ""racial impact"" on minority voters. The groups argue that the new photo identification requirements contained in Georgia House Bill 244 are unnecessary and were purposefully adopted to make minority voters worse off.

ACLU Applauds Georgia Students' Gay-Straight Alliance Victory (03/22/2005)
ATLANTA, GA - The American Civil Liberties Union today announced that officials at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia have agreed to drop their attempts to stop students from forming a gay-straight alliance club. The agreement comes after several weeks of negotiation between the school and the ACLU of Georgia.

Federal Judge Orders Georgia School District to Remove Evolution Disclaimers (01/13/2005)
ATLANTA-A federal judge today ruled that placing disclaimer stickers warning that evolution is ""a theory, not a fact"" in public school science textbooks is an unconstitutional government intrusion on religious liberty.

Parents Challenge Evolution Disclaimer In Georgia Textbooks (11/12/2004)
ATLANTA-Court arguments ended today in a federal lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia on behalf of a group parents challenging that a warning sticker placed in science textbooks claiming that evolution is ""a theory, not a fact"" is government intrusion on religious liberty.

Prominent Legal Scholars Join ACLU Lawsuit Challenging Georgia Marriage Amendment (10/20/2004)
ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia announced today that more than 50 legal scholars and law professors have filed a court brief opposing a proposed state amendment that would exclude same-sex couples from marriage rights and could potentially ban recognition of civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Federal Appeals Court Finds Mass Metal-Detector Searches of Georgia Protesters Unconstitutional (10/19/2004)
COLUMBUS, GA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today applauded a federal appeals court decision to strike down an unconstitutional city policy that forces thousands of protesters coming to demonstrate against a combat training school in November to undergo mass metal detector searches. The court also strongly condemned the city of Columbus for using post-9/11 fears as justification for the searches.

ACLU Launches New 'Voter Empowerment Cards' (10/04/2004)
ATLANTA--The Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it has produced voter empowerment cards for voters in eight states. The cards are designed to inform voters of their rights on Election Day to avoid problems when casting a ballot.

Atlanta Property Owner Challenges "Big Brother" as Art Critic (09/21/2004)
ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of an Atlanta resident and commercial property owner challenging the constitutionality of parts of the city's graffiti and public art ordinances that prohibit businesses and individuals from commissioning art murals for their own buildings. The lawsuit does not challenge that part of the law that makes it a crime to "tag" (place graffiti on) a building without the owner's consent.

Georgia Leaders and Voters File Lawsuit Saying Marriage Amendment is Deceptive and Unconstitutional (09/16/2004)
ATLANTA--A lawsuit filed today in the Superior Court of Fulton County asks that an amendment dealing with marriage rights for same-sex couples be taken off of Georgia's November ballot. The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of a diverse range of Georgia voters and leaders by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP, charges that the ballot language is affirmatively deceptive and unconstitutional.

ACLU of Georgia Sues City Over Arrest of Political Activist During Fourth of July Celebrations (05/27/2004)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a local activist, Georgia's Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Georgia, saying that police violated their rights when they were blocked from collecting ballot signatures in a public park during a Fourth of July celebration.

ACLU of Georgia Challenges City and County Ordinances Restricting Free Speech During G-8 Summit (05/03/2004)
GLYNN COUNTY, GA-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed a lawsuit today challenging sweeping restrictions on free speech enacted by local authorities in anticipation of the G-8 Summit scheduled to take place on Sea Island June 8-10. The complaint, brought against City of Brunswick and Glynn County officials, was filed in federal court in Brunswick on behalf of local minister Zack L. Lyde and groups planning protest activities around the Summit.

ACLU and Georgia Health Clinics Dismayed that Medicaid Still Not Covering Abortions Poor Women Need to Protect Their Health (12/22/2003)
ATLANTA - A Georgia state court today denied an emergency request made by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several local clinics to require Medicaid to cover abortions a doctor determines a poor woman needs to protect her health.

ACLU and Georgia Health Clinics Urge Court To Require Medicaid to Cover Abortions Poor Women Need to Protect Their Health (12/16/2003)
ATLANTA -- Moving to protect the health of low-income women across Georgia, the American Civil Liberties Union argued in state court today on behalf of several clinics that denying Medicaid coverage for medically necessary abortions threatens women's health and violates their rights.

ACLU and Georgia Health Clinics Ask State to Protect Poor Women's Health by Covering Medically Necessary Abortions (12/02/2003)
ATLANTA -- Moving to protect the health of low-income women across Georgia, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today on behalf of several clinics in the state, arguing that the denial of Medicaid coverage for medically necessary abortions threatens women's health and violates their rights.

In Georgia Case, Supreme Court Allows States Some Leeway in Redistricting Areas With Large Minority Populations (06/26/2003)
ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the Supreme Court's decision in Georgia v. Ashcroft-a case involving the state's legislative redistricting plan-but expressed some disappointment with the Court's reading of a federal law which may hinder minority voters seeking to elect a candidate of their own race.

Controversy Over Women at Augusta Golf Course Leads to ACLU Federal Lawsuit on Protest Rights (03/12/2003)
ATLANTA -- With the backdrop of the ongoing controversy over admitting women into Augusta National Golf Course, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the two civil rights organizations who are seeking to protest outside the golf course during the upcoming Masters Golf Tournament.

GA Supreme Court Strikes Down Fornication Law (01/13/2003)
ATLANTA -- In a case argued by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Georgia Supreme Court today unanimously struck down the state's fornication law, saying that the government may not "reach into the bedroom of a private residence and criminalize the private, noncommercial, consensual acts of two persons legally capable of consenting" to sexual activity.

ACLU of Georgia Challenges Mass Searches at School of Americas Protest (11/13/2002)
COLUMBUS, GA-The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a lawsuit challenging last minute plans by law enforcement officials here to search more than 10,000 marchers at the upcoming School of Americas (SOA) demonstration on Sunday, November 17.

ACLU of Georgia Sues Library Over Ban on Gay Newspaper (10/02/2002)
SAVANNAH, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit against the Vidalia Public Library for barring a Lesbian and Gay community newspaper from the library's free display table after a librarian cited ""religious issues, gays versus Christians.""

Federal Court Order Ends Dispute Over Religious Display in Georgia City Hall (09/17/2002)
RINGGOLD, GA-- Rejecting city officials' assertion that a religious display in city hall was meant to endorse patriotism and not religion, a federal court today issued a final order in a lawsuit which settles the dispute and orders the city to refrain from erecting future religious displays.

ACLU Challenges Georgia's Antiquated "Fornication" Law Barring Sex Outside of Marriage (06/25/2002)
ATLANTA-The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a legal brief with the Georgia Supreme Court on behalf of a 17-year-old youth seeking to challenge the state's ""Fornication Statute,""dating back to 1800's, that makes sexual intercourse between unmarried people illegal.

Five Georgia Residents Sue to Block Extremist City-Sponsored Prayer Breakfast (01/03/2002)
ATLANTA -- Acting on behalf of five East Point residents, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed suit in federal court here against Mayor Patsy Joe Hilliard and the City of East Point for their unconstitutional sponsorship, promotion and funding of the "East Point Mayor's Annual Prayer Breakfast." 

Gay Students Face Harassment and Bullying (06/20/2001)
ATLANTA -- A recent survey reveals that gay high school students are frequently harassed and bullied, and that school officials do very little to help them, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 

ACLU Sues for Free Speech In Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park (04/19/2001)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed a lawsuit today on behalf of local activists whose attempts to hold demonstrations in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park have been thwarted by city officials. The ACLU is seeking an order preventing the enforcement of criminal regulations that limit free speech and assembly in the park. 

ACLU Challenges GA Prison's Claim that Cartoon Drawn By Student Could Incite Racial Violence (03/15/2001)
ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a lawsuit challenging the censorship of a cartoon which officials at Calhoun State Prison in Morgan claimed might incite racial violence among prisoners.

City of Decatur Modifies Employee Background Checks in Response to ACLU (02/26/2001)
DECATUR, GA--In response to inquiries from the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, city officials here will alter highly intrusive background checks on people who work in bars and restaurants where alcohol is served, the ACLU announced today.

ACLU Seeks to Remedy Georgia's 'Fatally Flawed' Voting System (01/05/2001)
ATLANTA -- The American Civil Liberties Union and three Atlanta attorneys today filed the first post-election challenge to a state's electoral process, saying that voters in some Georgia counties were ten times more likely than others to lose their right to vote because of a "fatally flawed" system that disproportionately affects people of color.

ACLU Asks Judge to Reconsider Order Forcing Minister to Write a Letter of Retraction (12/11/2000)
ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today asked a state court judge to reconsider his ruling that compels a minister - against his will - to write a letter retracting statements he made in a local newspaper.

ACLU of Georgia Represents Student Suspended from School for Carrying "Tweety Bird" Key Chain (10/02/2000)
ATLANTA, GA--The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia announced today that the organization will be representing 11-year-old Ashley Smith and other students in an effort to change Cobb County's controversial "zero tolerance" policy.

Federal Judge Approves Georgia County's Agreement Not to Enforce Challenged Sign Ordinance (07/10/2000)
ATLANTA, GA -- Under an agreement reached today between the American Civil Liberties Union and DeKalb County officials, residents will be allowed to display signs and flags in their yards indefinitely without the threat of government sanction.

Statewide Coalition Announces Campaign to End Racial Profiling in Georgia (07/07/2000)
ATLANTA, GA -- At a news conference this morning, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and four other widely recognized civil rights groups announced a new anti-racial profiling initiative, which will include litigation, legislation, public education and activism.

ACLU Challenges Local Georgia County Ordinance Restricting Flags and Other Lawn Decorations (07/06/2000)
ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of local residents challenging a county ordinance that makes it illegal to post signs and flags on private residential property.

ACLU of GA Sues Local Officials Over Ten Commandments Image in County Seal (05/15/2000)
ATLANTA -- After two years of attempting to reach a negotiated settlement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed suit today in federal court on behalf of three citizens, asking that Richmond County officials be ordered to stop using a seal which prominently depicts the Ten Commandments.

Georgia Judge Orders Lesbian Mother to Leave Home and Children; ACLU Vows Fight (04/21/2000)
ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia has filed an appeal in the State Supreme Court on behalf of a mother who is being held in "willful contempt" by a local judge based solely on her shared residence with her same-sex partner.

ACLU of GA Says School Strip Search Ruling Ignores Students' Rights (10/04/1999)
ATLANTA -- While ruling that school officials and police officers violated the Constitution when they strip-searched an entire class of fifth graders, a Georgia judge today said that none of the adults involved could be held liable for their actions.

ACLU Says Music Should Be Heard On Georgia Streets (09/15/1999)
ATLANTA -- The American Civil Liberties of Georgia today filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta on behalf of two street musicians who claim their right to free expression is greatly impaired by restrictions on where they can perform.

ACLU Defends Disabled Schoolteacher Denied Right to Serve on Jury (09/14/1999)
ATLANTA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia this week filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who was denied the right to serve on a jury because she is in a wheelchair.

GA Journalism Professor Victim of Backlash From University Officials, ACLU Charges (06/25/1999)
ATLANTA -- In a federal lawsuit filed here today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia said that officials at Fort Valley State University did not renew a professor's contract because his journalism students wrote articles critical of the school.