News & Commentary

In October 2021, a multiracial group of Oklahoma students, parents, and faculty filed a federal lawsuit challenging H.B. 1775.1 H.B. 1775 is a classroom censorship law that severely restricted teaching about race and gender in Oklahoma public education. The law has two sections: the first applies to colleges and universities, and the second applies to K-12 schools.

Students who are well-informed about their rights can go to school confident in the knowledge that students and their rights—to privacy, to speak freely, to be treated fairly—are protected by the laws and Constitution of the United States.

Legal Observers are trained volunteers who monitor and document law enforcement and other public officers’ interaction with people in Oklahoma who are participating in the democratic process by protesting, voting, or attending public meetings.

In the face of continued discrimination in our state, we celebrated amazing wins for the rights of many Oklahomans. As these laws become closer to reality, we will continue to track these bills in the Capitol and brace to defend our civil liberties after this session adjourns.

We sent a demand letter to OKC requesting the repeal of its ordinance banning political and social signs on medians, roadsides, and street corners. Oklahomans have the First Amendment right to speak in the public square, including on medians and other public areas around roadways.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

Oklahoma County Commissioners are voting on an unconstitutional attempt to limit free speech tomorrow, 8/12, at 9 AM. This afternoon we sent the following letter to all commisioners noting that if enacted – let alone enforced – the County can expect the ACLU of Oklahoma to challenge the Policy as an impermissible burden upon the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

On November 19th, our team will be in Denver, CO for oral argument in front of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in McCraw, et al. v. Oklahoma City, our free speech challenge against Oklahoma’s City's anti-panhandling ordinance. This case is about protecting the freedom of speech for Oklahomans.