News & Commentary

The law, it seems, has failed too many students in Illinois' public schools. According to reliable reports, more than half of Illinois students have been verbally harassed in school, while almost a quarter have been victims of physical harassment. This bullying—and the lack of meaningful policies to successfully prevent or address such behavior—turns school for too many youth from a safe place to learn and grow, into a nightmare to be feared and avoided. Sadly, bullying often targets students with learning disabilities or medical conditions that affect their appearance. And for victims, bullying’s not just emotionally harmful: it increases suicide risk and affects academic success.Part of the problem is that reporting bully

Cross-posted from The Chicago Tribune. 

Since the Illinois State Supreme Court struck down the state’s anti-eavesdropping law for being too broadly written it has been legal in Illinois to secretly record conversations without permission from either party. The Illinois Senate passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), which would establish new guidelines tailored to today’s cell phone technology and supporters believe the State House could take up the issue during the veto session. Ed Yohnka, ACLU of Illinois Director of Communications and Public Policy, wishes the old law had not been struck down but pointed out legislators should craft a bill that includes:

Cross-posted from The New York TimesBy Dorothy J. Samuels

In a weekend editorial, the Peoria Journal Star questions the idea that Peoria’s citizens should be footing the mayor’s legal defense costs in the city’s Twittergate lawsuit. Reviewing the suit filed by the ACLU of Illinois on behalf of Jon Daniel, the newspaper reiterated the strengths of Daniel’s claim that his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated when, at the mayor’s instigation, police entered his home, searched and confiscated his cell phone and computer equipment in response to his Twitter parody of the mayor. The editorial again calls on the city “to cut its losses,” challenges the wisdom of the city’s public relations strategy, and maintains that the mayor and city council members must be held responsible and accountable:

A 29-year-old Peoria resident is suing the City, the Mayor and several officials for their overreaction to a Twitter parody of the Mayor. The city officials caused the parody to be turned into a police matter, leading to a raid on Mr. Daniel's home, the seizure of his personal property and his arrest and detention. Jon Daniel, represented by the ACLU of Illinois, is asking a federal court in Peoria to hold the Mayor, the City Manager, the former police chief and other City officials accountable for violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights by responding to a parody account spoofing the Mayor by launching a manhunt for the account’s author.

On the heels of a decision by a U.S. District Court Judge that found Wisconsin’s ban against same-sex marriage unconstitutional, 42 out of 72 Wisconsin county clerks began to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. More than 238 licenses were issued to same-sex couples in Madison and Milwaukee alone within hours of Judge Barbara Crabb’s ruling last Friday, in a case brought by the ACLU.  U.S. District Court Judge Crabb denied a request to stay her decision as the State appeals, and is expected to draft an order, with ACLU input, that will make Wisconsin the 17th state to acknowledge marriage as a right, entitled to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

Cross-posted from The Chicago Tribune.

Sometime today or tomorrow, the Illinois General Assembly ends the 2014 Spring session. We can report to you that a number of priorities advanced by the ACLU of Illinois during this session are on their way to Governor Pat Quinn. Among those measures moving forward: