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.
In 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted HB 1182/ SB 1224 (“the Act”), which forces businesses and other entities with public restrooms to post a government-mandated warning sign with large red and...
In December of 2023, the ACLU of Tennessee joined the Vanderbilt Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic in filing an Amicus Brief in support of Ms. Diei’s appeal. The brief emphasizes the importance of...
Christopher Bassett, Jr. was convicted for the murder in 2015 and in 2020, an amicus brief was filed on his behalf. The state introduced a drill rap music video featuring Bassett and six other men,...
In the summer of 2020, a bill was passed that effectively banned all abortions in Tennessee, causing ACLU-TN to file a lawsuit that would block enforcement of the bill that same day.