Cases

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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Oct 1, 2014

Smith v. Jefferson County Board of School Commissioners

Religious Freedom

Case No. 13-5957 (U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Knoxville, Judge Phillips)

Plaintiff: Steve B. Smith

Plaintiff-Appellees: David Kucera;...

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Aug 21, 2014

ACLU-TN Protects Student's Right to Read the Bible at Cannon County Afterschool Program

Religious Freedom

In an effort to protect the religious freedom of all public school students, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee sent a letter to the Cannon County REACH after-school program explaining that...

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Jul 24, 2014

Tennessee v. Prabhakar

Criminal Legal Reform

(Case No. P8346-01, Tennessee Department of Safety, Nashville, Administrative Judge Michael Begley)

Plaintiffs: Tennessee Department of Safety; Shelby County Sheriff’s...

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Jun 16, 2014

Tanco v. Haslam

Gender Equality

Case No. 13-1159 (U.S. District Court, Middle District, Nashville, Judge Trauger)

Tanco v. Haslam (Supreme Court of the United States, No. 14-562, opinion by Justice Kennedy)
...

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Dec 12, 2013

Catholic Diocese of Nashville v. Sebelius

Gender Equality

AMICUS BRIEF (Case No. 3:13-cv-01303 District Judge Todd J. Campbell Magistrate Judge E. Clifton Knowles)

Appealed to Sixth Circuit (Mich. Catholic Conf. et al. v. Burwell et al, Nos....

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Sep 23, 2013

Postcards Only at the Rutherford County Jail

In September 2013, ACLU-TN received several letters from inmates at the Rutherford County Jail and their relatives concerning a new postcard-only policy that limited inmates’ ability to receive any letters...

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