Though many voters are focused on the presidential election, other races on the ballot – including the state house race – will have a crucial impact on our day-to-day lives, from education to healthcare to public safety and much more.
The ACLU of Tennessee stands up for equality, fairness and justice in the courts. Through our impact litigation and other legal advocacy, we’re fighting for you. ACLU’s legal advocacy in Tennessee spans from the historic Scopes “Monkey Trial” and representation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the sanitation workers’ march in Memphis, to ensuring access to private prison records, protecting families’ religious freedom rights, advocating for gay and lesbian parents who were denied visitation with their children, defending voters’ right to have their ballots counted, and much more. You can learn more about specific cases below.
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Apr 21, 2020
Adams & Boyle, P.C. et al v. Slatery et al
Reproductive Justice
Status: Closed
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Bill limited "non-emergency" healthcare procedures which reproductive healthcare was labeled as, prohibiting procedural abortions.
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Mar 20, 2020
McEwen et al v. Lee
Education Equity
Status: Active
In May 2019, the Tennessee state legislature passed the Tennessee Savings Account Pilot Program, or school vouchers, which authorizes taxpayer-funds to be diverted from public to private schools. This...
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Feb 5, 2020
Nashville Community Bail Fund v. Howard Gentry
Criminal Legal Reform
Status: Closed
The Nashville Community Bail Fund (NCBF) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2016, to address the issue of extended pretrial detention. NCBF assists individuals in posting bail so that they can...
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Oct 19, 2019
Tennessee v. United States
Immigrants’ Rights
Status: Closed
In March 2017, the Tennessee General Assembly exhibited an effort to block refugee resettlement in the state by filing a lawsuit against the federal government claiming that it violated the Refugee Act of...
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May 9, 2019
League of Women Voters of Tennessee v. Hargett
Racial Justice
Status: Active
Tennessee saw a surge in voter registrations during the 2018 midterms. Lawmakers passed a measure that creates criminal and civil penalties against those who submit “incomplete” applications. The threat of...
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Jul 25, 2018
Blanchard et al. v. City of Memphis
Privacy, Surveillance and Technology
Status: Active
During the civil rights movement, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) surveilled demonstrators in an effort to intimidate them from exercising free speech and free assembly. Through a 1976 lawsuit filed...