April 27, 2011 – The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has agreed to annually release student discipline data, broken out by race, starting in 2012. Their decision is the result of ongoing communications between ODE and a coalition of organizations and individuals – led by the ACLU of Oregon – concerned about racial disparities in school discipline.

Last October, we released our report on Oregon’s “School-to-Prison Pipeline,” exposing the disproportionate discipline of students of color in Oregon’s schools and juvenile justice system. Mirroring a national trend, Oregon’s African American, Latino and Native American students are subjected to harsher discipline than their white peers.

In our report, we called on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo to release this data annually, both statewide and district-by-district. Since then, together with a coalition of groups, we followed up on that request and ODE has now committed to developing a searchable discipline data tool for public use and “testing on this tool” should begin in the spring of 2012.

The coalition is comprised of many organizations, including the ACLU of Oregon, the Urban League of Portland, Stand for Children, the Portland Parents’ Union, the Oregon Diversity Institute, Siwash Resources, the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Eugene/Springfield NAACP Branch, the Corvallis/Albany NAACP Branch, Amigos, the Salem/Keizer Coalition for Equality, Casa Latinos Unidos de Benton County and Hispanic Advisory Committee of Linn & Benton Counties.

The coalition plans to continue in its efforts to see that this important discipline data is accessible to the public, free of charge, on both a statewide and school district level. The coalition further hopes to partner with ODE in evaluating and pushing for more effective policies aimed at eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline.

You can find our full report on “Oregon’s School-to-Prison Pipeline” here (PDF).

You can find more information on our report here.

April 21, 2011 - Roseburg, OR – After an ACLU volunteer attorney contacted County Counsel Tuesday and County Commissioners heard testimony from upset pipeline opponents Wednesday, Douglas County changed course and will now allow anti-LNG activists to participate at the Douglas County Earth Day event this weekend in Roseburg.

The County’s Public Works Department, which oversees the Douglas County Earth Day and Energy Fair, earlier had decided to deny the group’s request.

Douglas County citizens organizing against the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project will now be allowed to display educational materials and share information at a booth for the annual Earth Day celebration at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday.

“We were very disappointed that our county leadership was censoring our right to speak about important issues with our community at a public event,” said M. A. Hansen, a Douglas County resident who is opposed to the pipeline. “The LNG import facility and pipeline that are proposed for southwest Oregon would have major impacts on citizens, forests, rivers, fish and wildlife. We felt this was an appropriate issue to discuss at the Douglas County Earth Day and Energy Fair.”

In response to the County’s decision to limit free speech at a public event, members of the coalition working to stop the LNG project contacted the ACLU of Oregon. On Tuesday, ACLU volunteer attorney Jim Arneson, of Roseburg, contacted Douglas County Counsel Paul E. Meyer notifying informing him that ACLU believed the denial was based on the content of the group’s political views.

“Free speech includes the right to express differing points of view on a topic,” said David Fidanque, ACLU of Oregon Executive Director. “It was clear to us that either county officials weren’t aware that anti-pipeline organizers have also been promoting developing of renewable energy sources or the county was hoping to avoid political controversy at the event. We’re pleased that county commissioners reversed the denial once it was brought to their attention.”

The proposed Jordan Cove/Pacific Connector LNG project would build an import facility in Coos Bay and a 230-mile pipeline to California across Coos, Douglas, Jackson and Klamath counties. The proposal has spawned staunch opposition due to the potential impacts on community safety, private property, forests, rivers, fish and wildlife, as well as furthering reliance on imported fossil fuels.

April 14, 2011 - “I ♥ Boobies!” breast cancer awareness bracelets have been banned in schools across the country including here in Oregon. In a suit brought by the ACLU on behalf of two students in Pennsylvania, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that banning the students from wearing the bracelets would be in violation of the students’ right to free speech. Late last year, the ACLU of Oregon was contacted by a student at Milwaukie High School after he was told he couldn’t wear the bracelet on school grounds. Shortly after the ACLU contacted the school, the policy was reversed.

_____________________________________

On the evening of September 26, 2010, Kevin Rueck, a junior at Milwaulkie High School, attended a home football game. While attempting to cross to the visiting team’s bleachers he was stopped by a Vice-Principal. During the ensuing conversation the school administrator noticed the “I ♥ Boobies” bracelet that Kevin was wearing and instructed him to take it off.

Kevin explained that the bracelet was part of a breast cancer awareness campaign and that it was important to him because his grandmother and other family members had struggled with cancer. Kevin was told to take it off or to turn the bracelet inside-out or the Vice-Principal would call police and have Kevin arrested. Kevin complied but believed that he should be allowed to wear the bracelet right-side-out so he called the ACLU of Oregon. Shortly after the incident at the football game, on October 12, 2010, the Principal of Milwaukie High School announced that the Keep-A-Breast Foundation bracelets had been banned from the school. The ACLU of Oregon contacted the school and ultimately they reversed their policy before we filed suit.

Cooperating Attorney: Jonathan Hoffman of Martin, Bischoff, Templeton, Langslet & Hoffman LLP.