vol. 79, no. 2

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

4 Know Your Rights at school

3 One man's story of racial profiling

7 Meet our volunteer chapter chairs

8 Meet our new board chair

CENTER INSERT:

The Year in Review

NonProfit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 4424

San Francisco, CA

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

39 Drumm St.

San Francisco, CA 94111

LETTER FROM THE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

e have entered a new era of work around religion at the

ACLU, as we continue to see religion be the center of

controversies around the country. The use of religion as a basis

for discrimination and attacks on the separation of church and

state are on the rise, but so are attacks on religious freedom.

We continue to fight the classic church/state battles that

began with the historic Scopes trial, when Tennessee tried to

ban the teaching of evolution in 1925. That case opened doors

for our organization and set the standard for so many cases

that would follow.

We saw an example of the separation of church and state

fight recently right here in northern California, in the Sierra

Foothills. The Board of Supervisors of Calaveras County voted

to adopt a resolution recognizing a nonprofit Christian ministry

for "inviting [women] to test and see for themselves the many

blessings that can come from living the teachings of Christ."

The government essentially chose to endorse a religion

rather than praise the work of an organization. We had to

remind them that the California constitution prevents them

from promoting specific religions. In March, after the ACLU

of Northern California filed suit on behalf of nine residents,

the board voted to repeal the resolution.

Around the country, our success in seeking equality for les-

bian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has led to a wave

of proposed laws intended to allow discrimination, with re-

ligion as a cover. While national outrage and pressure from

the business community led to the defeat or improvement of

many of these proposed laws, others made it through. North

Carolina passed a law that lets magistrates-government

employees-choose not to perform marriages based on their

religious beliefs. Michigan passed a law that allows religiously-

afhliated adoption agencies to discriminate in their placement

of children, even though they receive public funds.

Here in California, we have universities using religion as

an excuse to limit their employees' access to essential repro-

ductive healthcare. Two Roman Catholic colleges that receive

public funds, Loyola Marymount University and Santa Clara

University, purchased health plans that covered abortion only

for life-threatening pregnancies. State officials-acting with

our support and advice-clarified that health plans purchased

in California must cover abortion. But with an ever-growing

number of health care institutions becoming Catholic-afhliat-

ed and additional religious refusals coming to our attention,

our fight is far from over.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

(-

VISIT WWW.ACLUNC.ORG TO READ MORE

BOARD ELECTION NOTICE

The ACLU-NC Board of Directors, in accordance with changes adopted in the bylaws in 2003 (Article VI, Section 3

and Article VI, Section 4), have an election schedule as follows:

Nominations for the Board of Directors will now be submitted by the September Board meeting; candidates and bal-

lots will appear in the Fall issue of the ACLU News; elected board members will begin their three-year term in January.

As provided by the revised ACLU-NC bylaws, the ACLU-NC membership is entitled to elect its Board of Directors di-

rectly. The nominating committee is now seeking suggestions from the membership to fill at-large positions on the Board.

ACLU members may participate in the nominating process in two ways:

1. They may send suggestions for the nominating committee's consideration prior to the September Board meeting

(Sept. 10, 2015). Address suggestions to: Nominating Committee, ACLU-NC, 39 Drumm Street, San Francisco,

CA 94111. Include your nominee's qualifications and how the nominee may be reached.

2. They may submit a petition of nomination with the signatures of 15 current ACLU-NC members. Petitions of

nomination, which should also include the nominee's qualifications, must be submitted to the Board of Directors by

Sept. 30, 2015 (20 days after the September board meeting). Current ACLU members are those who have renewed

their membership during the last 12 months. Only current members are eligible to submit nominations, sign peti-

tions of nomination, and vote. No member may sign more than one such petition.

ACLU members will select Board members from the slate of candidates nominated by petition and by the nominating

committee. The ballot will appear in the Fall issue of the ACLU News.

,

a

Photos by Susana Millman

s

BENEFACTORS DINNER

ae, ACLU Freedom Circle supporters

gathered at The Omni San Francisco for the

annual ACLU of Northern California Benefactors

Dinner to hear about our growing presence in

Sacramento and the Central Valley. The evening's

program featured Director of the ACLU of CA

Center for Advocacy and Policy Natasha Minsker,

ACLU-NC Staff Attorney Novella Coleman, and

activist Ashton Lee.

If you would like information about the Freedom

Circle, please contact Elisa Perez-Selsky at giving@

aclunc.org.

Top to bottom, left to right:

Amy Weinberg and Zac Weinberg. James B. Blume,

Abdi Soltani, Marsha Rosenbaum, and Anne Irwin.

ca Minsker, Novella Coleman, and Ashton Lee.

wy,

PAL PED REP LEY

a ee aoe

ON Or NORTHE

r

Membership ($25 and up) includes a subscription to the

ACLU News. For membership information call

(415) 621-2493 or visit www.aclunc.org

CHAIR

EXECUTIVE DIREC ROR

2D VOReIIN=Clalilelr

MANAGING EDITOR

DESIGNER

PROOFREADER

Beverly Tucker

Abdi Soltani

Rebecca Farmer

Gigi Pandian

Jessie Seyfer

39 Drumm Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

(AS) 621-2493

EDITOR@ACLUNC.ORG

With a Single Sentence,

Can Defend Freedom

Now and Forever

Right now, by adding the ACLU to your

will, you can leave a legacy of Uberty

for generations to come and defend our

freedom today.

Through the Legacy Challenge, simply

including a gift in your future plans can

qualify the ACLU to receive a 20% cash

matching donation today from our generous

challenge donor.

For simple bequest language to include in

your will and for information on other gifts

that qualify for the Legacy Challenge, visit

WWW ACLU. ORG/LEGACY

or call (415) 293-6367 ext. 367.

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

LEGACY

CHALLENGE

LETTER FROM THE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Yet we've also seen emerging trends like government agen-

cies intruding on religious freedom. One of the most tangible

examples is the FBI going into mosques on the grounds of

fighting terror. Under that guise, the FBI conducted surveil-

lance on Northern California's Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim

and South Asian communities. They investigated Islamic

centers, assessed religious leaders and infiltrated communities

using undercover agents and informants. These agents were

using race and religion to decide who to investigate and then

refusing to release information related to the surveillance cit-

ing its use for law enforcement purposes.

`These tactics have a chilling effect on the right to worship

freely. The ACLU of Northern California joined the Asian Law

Caucus and the San Francisco Bay Guardian to file a Freedom

of Information Act request asking the FBI to share the infor-

mation so we could better understand exactly what they were

"investigating." They fought us but in March, a federal judge

in San Francisco ruled the FBI couldn't shield the collected in-

formation from the public and the records were finally released.

Those documents were extremely helpful in exposing the FBI's

biased approach to targeting communities based on religion.

`These vast and varied cases prove that this problem persists.

Religious freedom is a core American value, and one that we

must continue to fight for generation after generation. In the

90 years since the Scopes case, our work in this area has taken

on many different forms, but it remains a key priority. We will

remain vigilant in the fight.

Abdi So | :

Abdi Soltani

Executive Director

DESILVER SOCIETY LUNCHEON

OF May 8, ACLU-NC supporters gathered in San Francisco for a conversation about today's fight for civil

liberties. Susan Herman, ACLU President, and Abdi Soltani, ACLU-NC Executive Director led a discussion

of the ACLU's most current work nationwide on issues of national security, surveillance, and individual rights.

Photos by Jocelyn Wong

Left: Susan Herman and Abdi Soltani. Top right: Lawrence Lerner and Narcinda Lerner.

Bottom right: Abdi Soltani, Margaret Ropchan, and Tom Perez.

TSA AGREES TO STOP RACIAL PROFILING

IN HAIR PAT-DOWNS

Bae this year, on the ACLU-NC blog, I shared my experiences and that of ACLU-NC client, Malaika

Singleton, Ph.D. I described how a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent suddenly grabbed

my hair without any warning and squeezed it from top to bottom after I had passed through the advanced

imaging technology body scanner at the airport. But this did not happen to me just once. I was selected for

hair pat-downs during three out of four trips I took over just one year.

By Novella Coleman

Unfortunately, these hair pat-downs are part of a disturb-

ing trend of unwarranted and racially discriminatory hair

searches targeting black passengers. In response, the ACLU-

NC filed complaints with TSA in which we identified the seri-

ous constitutional implications of subjectively treating black

women's hair as a threat to national security simply for being

different-not to mention the time and resources wasted on

screening people based on things that have nothing to do with

airport security.

As a result, the ACLU-NC and TSA entered into an agree-

ment to help protect against implicit and overt racial biases

during airport screenings. TSA's Office of Civil Rights and Liber-

ties agreed to conduct trainings with a special emphasis on hair

pat-downs of black passengers for TSA employees. The agency

conducted a series of trainings for supervisors and managers at

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in late April.

I was invited to the first series of trainings at LAX, which

was meant to give officers clarity on TSA procedures for hair

pat-downs and to make sure that all passengers are treated

fairly and with respect, regardless of how they wear their hair.

Based on the feedback provided by me and other attendees

of the LAX training, the training will be modified and rolled

( #)

LOVE WINS! SAME-SEX

COUPLES NOW HAVE THE

FREEDOM TO MARRY IN

ALL 50 STATES

ber U2Se) Supreme Cour an the landmark

decision Obergefell v. Hodges recognized the

freedom to marry for same-sex couples around the

country. In an opinion authored by Justice Kennedy,

who also wrote other winning opinions for the LGBT

movement, including United States v. Windsor (2013),

the Court held that excluding same-sex couples from

marriage violated the Constitution's Equal Protection

and Due Process guarantees. From the opinion:

It is now clear that the challenged laws burden the

liberty of same-sex couples, and it must be further

acknowledged that they abridge central precepts of

equality. Here the marriage laws enforced by the re-

spondents are in essence unequal: same-sex couples

are denied all the benefits afforded to opposite-sex

couples and are barred from exercising a funda-

mental right. Especially against a long history of

disapproval of their relationships, this denial to

same-sex couples of the right to marry works a

grave and continuing harm. The imposition of this

disability on gays and lesbians serves to disrespect

and subordinate them. And the Equal Protection

Clause, like the Due Process Clause, prohibits this

unjustified infringement of the fundamental right

to Marry.

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out to all TSA-secured airports throughout the country.

In order to ensure this discriminatory practice is eliminated,

it is important that passengers file a complaint when they are

subjected to discriminatory treatment by TSA agents. If you

think you have been targeted for an unwarranted and racially

discriminatory hair search, you can file a complaint online at

www.tsa.gov or via email to TSA-CRL@tsa.dhs.gov. @

Novella Coleman is a staff attorney at the ACLU of

Northern California.

Novella Coleman

LEGAL UPDATES

By Bethany Woolman

Reforming Criminal Justice

In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47-a historic

initiative supported by the ACLU that reduced the penalties

for some low-level offenses, including simple drug possession

and petty theft, from felonies to misdemeanors.

In March 2015, the ACLU-NC sent a letter urging the First

District Court of Appeals to hear the Contra Costa County

Public Defender's appeal of the Superior Court's ruling that

denied Prop 47 resentencing relief to persons with convictions

begotten from plea bargains, as opposed to trials. The court

heard the case and found that plea bargain convictions are

in fact eligible for misdemeanor resentencing under Prop 47.

In April, the ACLU of California filed an amicus brief in

the Fourth District Court of Appeals challenging San Diego

County's denial of Prop 47 resentencing relief to juveniles.

The appeal is ongoing, but a victory would create precedent

throughout the state and give thousands of minors in San Di-

ego County a fresh start.

We continue to monitor and, where appropriate, engage

in advocacy on Prop 47 resentencing issues around the state.

Severe Health Risks at Immigrant

Detention Centers

The ACLU of Northern California has sent a letter urging

U.S. Immigration 8 Customs Enforcement (ICE) demand-

ing that the agency halt transfers of immigrant detainees to

a privately operated facility known as "Mesa Verde," out of

grave concerns for the detainees' health.

Mesa Verde is located in a region that has high rates of a

disease also known as Valley Fever, or "death dust." The disease

can be life-threatening and require a lifetime of medical treat-

men-and people who are Filipino, Pacific Islanders, African,

and Latino are disproportionately at risk for severe cases. The

public health concern is so dire that more than 2,000 inmates

were moved from Central Valley prisons earlier this year.

"We are continuing to put pressure on ICE to pause all

immigration detention at the facility until appropriate safety

measures are put in place," said ACLU-NC Senior Staff At-

torney Julia Mass.

Challenging the Brass Ceiling

In 2012, in the case Hegar, et al. v. Hagel, the ACLU of North-

ern California brought a lawsuit on behalf of four military

women who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, challenging the

long-standing discriminatory policy banning women from be-

ing assigned to combat units and jobs. The outdated policy

didn't match the reality that women are already serving in

combat positions unofficially, but aren't recognized for their

service in pay and promotions.

In response, the Department of Defense announced that it

was rescinding its policy. But women continue to be excluded

from serving and the Pentagon is not intending to meet the

January 2016 deadline for integrating women into combat

positions.

"We are losing a generation of leaders while the Depart-

ment of Defense drags its feet," said ACLU-NC Senior Staff

Attorney Elizabeth Gill. "In the meantime, our lawsuit con-

tinues." @

Read more about the ACLU-NC's legal docket online at

www.aclunc.org/legal-docket.

E

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

arlier this year, we realized we had a problem. The ACLU had fought hard to enact positive changes

in California laws. We won several of those battles-such as AB 420 addressing the concept of willful

defiance and SB 1111 addressing involuntary transfers-which resulted in some of our existing Know Your

Rights materials needing to be updated. It was a good problem to have, so we jumped in to update our pub-

lic education materials. Below is the text of our new school discipline guide for students in public schools.

Find this and more at www.aclunc.org/kyr.

KHOW YOUR RIGHTS: SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS

What is suspension?

Suspension is a form of school discipline which

temporarily removes you from a class or from school.

Your school may prohibit you from school grounds, a

classroom, or place you in a supervised ("in-school")

suspension classroom separate from other students.

1. When can my school suspend me?

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_2000 ACLUN_2000.MODS ACLUN_2000.batch ACLUN_2001 ACLUN_2001.MODS ACLUN_2001.batch ACLUN_2002 ACLUN_2002.MODS ACLUN_2002.batch ACLUN_2003 ACLUN_2003.MODS ACLUN_2003.batch ACLUN_2004 ACLUN_2004.MODS ACLUN_2004.batch ACLUN_2005 ACLUN_2005.MODS ACLUN_2005.batch ACLUN_2006 ACLUN_2006.MODS ACLUN_2006.batch ACLUN_2007 ACLUN_2007.MODS ACLUN_2007.batch ACLUN_2008 ACLUN_2008.MODS ACLUN_2008.batch ACLUN_2009 ACLUN_2009.MODS ACLUN_2009.batch ACLUN_2010 ACLUN_2010.MODS ACLUN_2010.batch ACLUN_2011 ACLUN_2011.MODS ACLUN_2011.batch ACLUN_2012 ACLUN_2012.MODS ACLUN_2012.batch ACLUN_2013 ACLUN_2013.MODS ACLUN_2013.batch ACLUN_2014 ACLUN_2014.MODS ACLUN_2014.batch ACLUN_2015 ACLUN_2015.MODS ACLUN_2015.batch ACLUN_2016 ACLUN_2016.MODS ACLUN_2017 ACLUN_2017.MODS ACLUN_2018 ACLUN_2018.MODS ACLUN_2019 ACLUN_2019.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log Your school cannot suspend you for just anything. It

can suspend you only for behavior explicitly listed in

the California Education Code.

cent Your school cannot suspend you for school absences

or tardiness.

cent A school cannot suspend students below the fourth

grade from school or place them in "in-school"

suspension for "willful defiance."

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_2000 ACLUN_2000.MODS ACLUN_2000.batch ACLUN_2001 ACLUN_2001.MODS ACLUN_2001.batch ACLUN_2002 ACLUN_2002.MODS ACLUN_2002.batch ACLUN_2003 ACLUN_2003.MODS ACLUN_2003.batch ACLUN_2004 ACLUN_2004.MODS ACLUN_2004.batch ACLUN_2005 ACLUN_2005.MODS ACLUN_2005.batch ACLUN_2006 ACLUN_2006.MODS ACLUN_2006.batch ACLUN_2007 ACLUN_2007.MODS ACLUN_2007.batch ACLUN_2008 ACLUN_2008.MODS ACLUN_2008.batch ACLUN_2009 ACLUN_2009.MODS ACLUN_2009.batch ACLUN_2010 ACLUN_2010.MODS ACLUN_2010.batch ACLUN_2011 ACLUN_2011.MODS ACLUN_2011.batch ACLUN_2012 ACLUN_2012.MODS ACLUN_2012.batch ACLUN_2013 ACLUN_2013.MODS ACLUN_2013.batch ACLUN_2014 ACLUN_2014.MODS ACLUN_2014.batch ACLUN_2015 ACLUN_2015.MODS ACLUN_2015.batch ACLUN_2016 ACLUN_2016.MODS ACLUN_2017 ACLUN_2017.MODS ACLUN_2018 ACLUN_2018.MODS ACLUN_2019 ACLUN_2019.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log Your school may only suspend you for conduct re-

lated to a school activity or school attendance. This

includes conduct at school, during school-sponsored

activities, and on your way to and from school.

2. What must my school do before it suspends me?

cent Your school must first try other interventions to

change your behavior. Your school may only sus-

pend you after other interventions fail, unless your

behavior is serious, violent, or dangerous to others.

cent Other interventions can include conferences with

your parents, referrals to counselors or psychologists,

or anger management programs. School districts

should also document the interventions they use.

3. What are my rights during the suspension process?

cent You have the right to an informal pre-suspension

conference with school or district staff, unless there

is an emergency situation.

cent You have other rights during the process including

the right to tell your side of the story and present ev-

idence in the conference before you are suspended.

4. What are my rights after a final decision of

suspension?

cent Your school must send a written notice of its deci-

sion to your parents/guardians.

cent Your school cannot suspend you for more than five

days in a row or for more than 20 total school days

in one school year.

cent You may have the right to appeal your school's final

decision.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: SCHOOL EXPULSIONS

What is expulsion?

Expulsion means your school district prevents you from

attending traditional schools in your school district.

1. When can my school expel me?

cent Your school is required to expel you only for the

following behaviors: possessing or selling firearms,

threatening another person with a knife, selling a

controlled substance, attempting or committing a

sexual assault, possessing an explosive, or inflicting

serious bodily injury.

cent Your school may choose to expel you for other

behavior, but only behaviors explicitly listed in the

California Education Code.

cent Your school may expel you only for conduct on

school grounds or at a school related activity off

school grounds.

cent You cannot be expelled from your school for "willful

defiance."

2. What must my school do before it expels me?

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_2000 ACLUN_2000.MODS ACLUN_2000.batch ACLUN_2001 ACLUN_2001.MODS ACLUN_2001.batch ACLUN_2002 ACLUN_2002.MODS ACLUN_2002.batch ACLUN_2003 ACLUN_2003.MODS ACLUN_2003.batch ACLUN_2004 ACLUN_2004.MODS ACLUN_2004.batch ACLUN_2005 ACLUN_2005.MODS ACLUN_2005.batch ACLUN_2006 ACLUN_2006.MODS ACLUN_2006.batch ACLUN_2007 ACLUN_2007.MODS ACLUN_2007.batch ACLUN_2008 ACLUN_2008.MODS ACLUN_2008.batch ACLUN_2009 ACLUN_2009.MODS ACLUN_2009.batch ACLUN_2010 ACLUN_2010.MODS ACLUN_2010.batch ACLUN_2011 ACLUN_2011.MODS ACLUN_2011.batch ACLUN_2012 ACLUN_2012.MODS ACLUN_2012.batch ACLUN_2013 ACLUN_2013.MODS ACLUN_2013.batch ACLUN_2014 ACLUN_2014.MODS ACLUN_2014.batch ACLUN_2015 ACLUN_2015.MODS ACLUN_2015.batch ACLUN_2016 ACLUN_2016.MODS ACLUN_2017 ACLUN_2017.MODS ACLUN_2018 ACLUN_2018.MODS ACLUN_2019 ACLUN_2019.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log You have the right to an expulsion hearing within 30

school days of the proposed expulsion. Prior to your

hearing, your district must continue to offer you an

educational program. Your school district will make

its final expulsion decision at your hearing.

cent Your school district must provide you written notice

of your expulsion hearing date at least ten days prior

to your hearing.

cent You have the right to request your student records

and inspect evidence to be used against you before

your expulsion hearing.

3. What are my rights during and after the

expulsion process?

cent You have rights during your expulsion hearing,

including the right to bring advocates to help tell

your side of the story.

cent You have rights after an expulsion hearing, including

the right to a written final decision, and the right to

an appeal.

cent If you win your hearing, you almost always have the

right to return to your school.

cent You may be eligible to return to your school district

after expulsion. Check with your district for its

process.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: INVOLUNTARY TRANSFERS

What is an involuntary transfer?

An involuntary transfer is when a school district

transfers a student to an alternative school against

the wishes of the student or their parent/guardian.

Schools have a lot of discretion in transfers, but there

are important limits on their discretion.

What are alternative schools?

Alternative schools include county community schools,

community day schools, and continuation schools.

These schools may be beneficial for some students,

but they often do not provide the same educational or

extra-curricular opportunities as traditional schools.

For more detailed information on your rights and

responsibilities during suspension, expulsion, and

involuntary transfers:

www.aclunc.org/kyr

Download the full guide and find other Know Your

Rights information at www.aclunc.org/kyr.

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BECAUSE OF HIS ADDRESS:

ONE MAN'S STORY OF RACIAL PROFILING

By Rebecca Rauber and Tessa D'Arcangelew

Re year, the ACLU of California comes together in Sacramento

along with hundreds of activists from nearly every part of the state to

learn about our work and lobby on critical civil liberties legislation. This

yearly event, the ACLU of California Conference and Lobby Day, features

staff and expert-led workshops on local advocacy for close to 300 partici-

pants, results in over 100 lobby visits with California's state legislators,

and creates a community of ACLU activists learning from one another.

The event also offers the opportunity for individuals to share their stories

of how the issues we are working on directly impact them.

One cxample is Aaron neighborhoods-black _ neigh-

Harvey, who grew up in SULE YY BECAUSE O- =: borhoods. While prosecutors

the heart of Southeast San ANNRESS 1ACAI AV EDN MEN acknowledge that many of the

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address, local government AND POLICE CLASSIFIED held had nothing to do with a

and police classified him as string of drive-by shootings the

a gang member. He came to

find out he was a document- GANG MEMBER. AT THE ACLU

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lowed them to be held and face

ed gang member in the state's life in prison for being presumed

database in the worst way:

leaving his apartment in Las

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gang members.

It's not difficult to end up ina

gang database. One has to meet

he was accosted by a host

of U.S. Marshals, with guns

drawn, dogs pulling at their

,leashes, and a helicopter. hovering. Theyd brought this force

across state lines to bring him back to San Diego where, they

`told him, he was wanted for murders. As Aaron often tells the

story, he laughed at them and said, "You've got the wrong guy."

Upon his return, Aaron was never charged with murder.

Instead, he was held in jail for five months under an obscure

statute of the Penal Code, section 182.5, which makes it a

felony for anyone to actively participate in a criminal street

gang. This is being used in San Diego to criminalize entire

only two of nine criteria, which

can be as simple as wearing cer-

tain colors or "frequenting gang

areas' -which is unavoidable if your neighborhood is consid-

ered a gang area. Aaron left San Diego because he was tired

of racial profiling, of being stopped, questioned, handcuffed,

harassed, and searched by police dogs because of the color of

his skin. Aaron has no criminal record and is fighting back.

With the help of the ACLU of San Diego, Aaron is challeng-

ing these injustices and attended this year's Conference and

Lobby Day. During Lobby Day, he met with the governor's

office to share his story of being racially profiled and advocated

Aaron Harvey

for passage of AB 953 and AB 619. AB 953 would update

California's legal definition of profiling, create a uniform sys-

tem for collecting and reporting data on stops, searches and

seizures, and modernize law enforcement training to end this

damaging practice. @

Rebecca Rauber is the Communications Director at the ACLU

of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Tessa D'Arcangelew is the

Leadership Development Manager/Organizer at the ACLU of

Northern California.

To Our Members:

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Member # |

Name |

Address

City, State, Zip

Martha Winnacker

LETTER FROM

Dear Members and Supporters,

his year, one of the top priorities for the ACLU of

California Center for Advocacy and Policy is statewide

police reform.

The problems are numerous. On a daily basis, we see

images of people of color unjustifiably killed by police. Law

enforcement continue to acquire frightening technology

for mass surveillance, including drones and StingRays. And

a recent report from our colleagues at Drug Policy Alliance

documents disturbing abuses of asset forfeiture by Califor-

nia police.

In our state capitol, the ACLU is responding by advocat-

ing for a broad range of measures that, collectively, could

put California on a path toward socially just police reform.

To highlight a few:

m AB 953 (Weber) - Racial and Identity Profiling: This bill

addresses the daily indignities that people of color endure

at the hands of police. It will prohibit racial profiling as

well as profiling based on other identity characteristics,

such as sexual orientation. It will require the Department

of Justice to collect information on law enforcement-

community interactions and will modernize officer train-

ing to account for implicit biases. The bill will also create

the first statewide advisory board to advance fair and

impartial policing.

SACRAMENTO

= AB 619 (Leno) - Excessive Use of Force: This bill seeks

to reduce deadly and excessive uses of force by police

and enhance law enforcement transparency and ac-

countability. The bill will require law enforcement to

report on all deaths in custody and all serious uses of

force, and will require the Department of Justice to

make that information available to the public.

@ SB 178 (Leno and Anderson) - California Electronic

Privacy Act: `This bill will protect the privacy of every

Californian by requiring police to get a warrant before

accessing electronic information. Right now, police

routinely request private information from companies

like AT T, Google, and Facebook, and it's up to the

companies to decide what they give over. This bill will

ensure private information has the same privacy protec-

tions whether it is stored electronically or in your file

cabinet.

m SB 443 (Mitchell) - Asset Forfeiture Reform:This bill

will require California police to follow California law

before forfeiting people's property. Right now, local po-

lice avoid state law by using federal task forces and federal

forfeiture law. This bill will curtail that practice.

Through these measures, the ACLU seeks to save lives

and to safeguard fundamental rights. These reforms are

long overdue if we are to restore public confidence in our

justice system.

Stacy Antonopoulos

-Natasha Minsker, Director of the ACLU of California

Center for Advocacy and Policy

Sign up for email action alerts at www.aclunc.org

to tell your legislators to stand up for civil rights

a

na liberties.

DRIVING CALIFORNIA FORWARD:

286,000 AND COUNTING

I has been six months since AB 60, Ihe Safe and Responsible Driver Act, went into effect. Since then, all

eligible Californians can apply for a driver's license, regardless of immigration status. `This is a huge victory

that immigrants and advocates fought for over two decades.

By Stacy Suh

AB 60 is an essential public safety program: all Califor-

nians benefit from safer roads when drivers are licensed,

tested, and insured. In the first six months of implementa-

tion, over a million DMV visits were made for an AB 60

license, and over 393,000 people already received an AB 60

license. This new driver's license program has made a great

difference in so many people's lives, with the pass-fail rate for

AB 60 license applicants being comparable to that of other

license applicants in California.

A driver's license is a necessity for many folks in their daily

lives, whether it is to get to work, to drop off their children at

school, or to take family members to doctor's appointments.

It means a huge step to acknowledging that immigrants are a

part of our community.

But we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that AB 60

licenses are truly accessible to all eligible Californians.

Fon cxample. the GLU and oun coalition panuiers

throughout California are working closely with Asian-Pacific

Islander (API) and African immigrant community organi-

zations to address specific needs of those communities to

improve accessibility to AB 60 licenses. We also continue

THANKS TO ACLU ACTI

ey

20

0

EQUALITY TO THE LIVES OF THE

1.5 MILLION IMMIGRANTS AND

THEIR FAMILIES THROUGHOUT

to work to ensure that the federal government respects the

privacy of all Californians. In particular, we hope to limit the

sharing of information submitted by AB 60 driver's license

applicants with federal immigration agents.

Several ACLU of Northern California chapter board

members have also been instrumental in educating commu-

nity members and training additional leaders on obtaining

an AB 60 license. In Fresno, Jesus Martinez from the Greater

Fresno Chapter and a leader of the Central Valley Immigrant

Integration Collaborative worked with the ACLU staff to

provide a train-the-trainers workshop. Over 40 advocates

and community leaders attended. The chapter will be inte-

grating AB 60 Know Your Rights materials into their current

workshops providing relief for Deferred Action for Parents

of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipi-

ents. Jess Cabrera Carmona, from the San Joaquin Chapter,

hosted an AB 60 workshop with Stockton Immigrant Youth

Collective.

Until then, the ACLU and advocates like Jess, Jesus, and

many others will continue educating community members

about the application process and work to ensure that AB

60 license are truly accessible to all eligible Californians. @

Stacy Suh is an Organizer at the ACLU of Northern

California.

MEET OUR VOLUNTEER CHAPTER CHAIRS

By Tessa D'Arcangelew

CLU-NC Chapters are active in local advocacy campaigns and extend the reach of the organization

through community education and building local relationships. And they do all of this as volunteers.

Chapter Chairs provide the leadership and organization that drives home our civil liberties victories in

communities throughout Northern California. We have sixteen chapters across Northern California,

from Tulare to Humboldt.

Meet Taylor Carey from the Northern

Sierra Chapter

"As long as I can remember, long before I even became a mem-

len, | nares mevense, ine AMCIIUL cael Carey, Claaite ar dine ACU)

of Northern California Northern Sierra Chapter. When I

learned that a new chapter was being formed in my area I

thought it might be time to put my reverence into action."

Taylor is the first-ever Chapter Chair of the newly formed

Northern Sierra Chapter, which covers Sierra and Nevada

Counties. Taylor, a retired Deputy Attorney/Special Assistant

Attorney General, is helping the new chapter to focus its ener-

gies on the rights of medical marijuana patients, stopping un-

warranted dragnet surveillance, and standing up for women's

equality. A polio survivor, Taylor has a life-long disability and

learned early on about discrimination as a result. When his

parents tried to enroll him in public school in Los Angeles, the

district refused to admit children with crutches.

"Tt seems crazy, unbelievable in the current time, but that

was what my parents had to deal with," he said, "Desperate,

they enrolled me in private school, though they annually tried

to get the public schools to relent." Today, students of color are

being pushed out of school at alarming rates. Racial equality

is one of Taylor's primary concerns as a new chapter board

member.

Of his fellow Board members, he says, "Iam heartened and

impressed by the determination of the members of the board

and their determination to make a difference in our region."

Meet Tess Ahmad from the Sacramento

Chapter

Tessnim Ahmad began her work with the ACLU as a Field

Fellow in 2012. During Tess's Fellowship, she reached out to

voters in Sacramento for the Yes on Prop 34 campaign, which

would have replaced the death penalty with life in prison with-

out parole. "Advocating for a huge policy change to complete

strangers was new and exciting to me," she said of the experi-

ence, so when her fellowship ended, she joined the chapter and

became the Chapter Chair in 2014.

faci

`Tess grew up in a small town in northern Utah. "As a Mus-

lim of Arab descent, I looked, believed, and thought differently

from my peers." And after 9/11 that feeling of being different

led to fear, as Muslim Americans' civil rights were infringed

upon. For Tess, the ACLU provided solace as an organization

"that did not succumb to the stereotypes at a time when it was

easy to do so, and instead defended the rights and dignity of

everyone.

Tess works for a labor union developing community re-

lationships, and has translated that into making the ACLU

a more relevant, powerful force in Sacramento and the sur-

rounding counties through partnering with local allies and

bringing new members into the chapter. She is proud of how

diverse the Sacramento Chapter is, with "representatives from

a variety of social and racial backgrounds, as well as strong

participation from youth."

To join a chapter board, visit https://www.aclunc.org/chapters

Tessa D'Arcangelew is the Leadership Development Manager/

Organizer at the ACLU of Northern California.

At left: Members of the Sacramento Chapter at Conference and Lobby Day.

Above: A Northern Sierra Chapter board meeting.

{

GET INVOLVED WITH AN ACLU CHAPTER IN

YOUR COMMUNITY!

Get more information at WWW.ACLUNC.ORG/CHAPTERS

or by calling (415) 621-2493 x355

You grew up in Detroit-what did you

learn as a young activist there?

At the time, Detroit was a booming and vibrant city.

But it was also one of the most segregated cities in the

United States. Housing discrimination was rampant.

The department stores downtown wouldn't hire black

people. Brutal police violence was an everyday occur-

rence. That was the context in which I was becoming an

activist, and at the time, I was a revolutionary.

But by the time I went off to college, the terrible

things happening in the Soviet Union were becoming

public knowledge. I decided that we weren't going to

overthrow the American government and create a whole

new society. The constitution, with amendments, is a

good document. Now I believe that we can work on

making this country live up to its best principles. Our

society has tremendous promise and potential, but a lot

of people have not yet benefited from its promise and

potential.

How do you feel about some of the more

prominent social movements today?

I'm so excited about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Pm also glad to see the increasing concern about in-

come inequality-lack of social mobility threatens the

future of this country in ways we can't even imagine.

For any social movement to be successful, you have to

have different strategies and tactics at different times.

While protests are a crucial part of social change, they

are not the primary tactic of the ACLU. But the energy

and political pressure generated by protests can be lever-

aged into real policy change-and that's something the

A GIEU) excels at.

What's it like to witness policy change in action?

I was in Sacramento recently to lobby on AB 1012-a

bill the ACLU of California is sponsoring that prohibits

school districts from assigning students to "fake classes"

that have no instruction or educational content. I was

amazed to see hundreds of ordinary people walking

Gigi Pandian

Meet the ACLU-NC's new board chair Beverly Tucker

Beverly Tucker is a longtime supporter of the ACLU, serving on the board since September 2010 and previously

from 1987 until 1990. We're honored to have Beverly's leadership expertise and deep knowledge of policy change

in both the organizational and governmental spheres.

Beverly has worked as a staff attorney for the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, staff

counsel for the United Auto Workers, and deputy attorney general in the Civil Rights Enforcement Section of

the Office of the California Attorney General. She served as chief counsel and associate executive director of

California Teachers Association from 1988 until 2007, when she retired.

through the halls of the capitol, going into committee

rooms, and lining up to testify about legislation. That's

the kind of collective action that can counter the influ-

ence of money in politics. This year at the ACLU of

California Conference and Lobby Day, we had over 300

people in the capitol advocating for a bill to address

racial profiling. 'm so proud to be a part of the ACLU

because we make a difference-in the halls of justice,

in the chambers of the legislature-by banding together

and making our voices heard.

What have you enjoyed so far about being

Board Chair?

Meeting so many young people who are working for

social change! When I was a young person, there were

demonstrations all the time-for civil rights, women's

rights, anti-war activism, LGBT activism, anti-apart-

heid-you name it. But by the time I was on the ACLU

A

board in the late eighties, I feared that that youthful

energy was dying down. But there has definitely been a

resurgence. We have a number of brilliant young people

on our board, and I've been so impressed with the young

folks ''ve met at ACLU chapter meetings and Confer-

ence and Lobby Day. They bring a different energy and

enthusiasm and new ways of approaching the issues. I

want to continue working to get more young people

engaged with the ACLU. `The organization will surely

have a bright future if we do.

What are you reading?

Most recently, Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in

America by Jill Leovy. Leovy is a reporter for the LA

Times who documents every murder in Los Angeles.

She has come to the conclusion that Los Angeles suffers

from both over-policing - random stops, arrests without

cause, militarization-and under-policing-a failure to

prioritize and solve homicides. I've found it fascinating

in part because it confirms my own experiences, living

in Oakland, of police priorities skewing towards the

War on Drugs rather than partnering with communi-

ties to solve the most serious crimes. I recommend that

everyone read it.

Rumor has it you like to garden.

I do. When I was a baby gardener I didn't know any bet-

ter and planted a lot of roses-they're very high mainte-

nance. Now I'm transitioning to native plants, Japanese

maples, olive trees, and a whole variety of fruit trees.

There's also a raised vegetable bed with organic tomatoes,

green beans, peppers, lemongrass, and Swiss chard. And

bamboo instead of hedges. I'm actually building struc-

tures in the garden out of bamboo poles-they're excel-

lent to work with because bamboo is so strong and sus-

tainable. I just love working out in the sunshine. I put on

my headphones and listen to music-it's very meditative.

This interview was conducted and compiled by

Bethany Woolman.

FACEBOOK.COM/ACLU.NORCAL

WH TWwitTER.cOM/ACLU_NORCAL

P ] Sign up for email action alerts: ACLUNC.ORG/EMAIL

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

OES 510

e]

RN CALIFORNIA

Dear members and supporters of the ACLU of Northern California,

It's a fascinating time in the movement for civil rights and civil liberties.

In fact, 2014 and 2015 have marked several anniversaries. It's been fifty years since the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were signed into law.

It has been fifty years since Freedom Summer volunteers registered voters in Mississippi and captured the attention of the nation. And it's been fifty

years since Dr. King led the historic marches from Selma to Montgomery.

Fifty years. Some of you not only lived through that transformational time, you were an active part of the movement. And the movement isn't over. As

you know, these anniversaries are a marker of the progress that our country has made. But they also remind us of the work that remains to be done.

Is ita contradiction to look at the current state of civil rights and be both heartbroken and heartened at the same time? This year marks a turning point.

We've seen person after person-mostly black and brown-killed by the police despite being unarmed. We've witnessed increased militarization

of law enforcement. But we've also seen the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement and an incredible grassroots uprising determined to change

the system.

We believe this is a watershed moment for both racial and economic justice. Practices and policies are changing, with real tangible impacts on people

and communities. Consider Proposition 47. In the 1980s, the war on drugs started chipping away at the progress of the civil rights movement. It

ultimately lead to a racist system of mass incarceration. That kind of entrenched system is hard to change. But determined people have staying power.

The ACLU has staying power. We proactively took on drug policy reform and helped to pass Prop 47, an overhaul of the state's drug sentencing laws,

after it stalled for several years in the legislature.

One of the many reasons we are challenging mass incarceration is because it feeds off, and fuels, economic inequality. And economic inequality denies

our children equal access to the opportunities our society is supposed to provide. It creates a two-tiered education system that supports the school-

to-prison pipeline. It traps people in a cycle of poverty that effectively excludes them from the benefits of our democracy. Some of these problems are

at their worst in the Central Valley, which is why we have placed new emphasis on our work there in the last year. If the entirety of the Central Valley

were a state of its own, it would have the highest poverty rate in the nation.

The ACLU-NC envisions a future in which California is a model for economic equity, racial justice, civil liberties, and civil rights. With your help, we are

working towards that future.

Enjoy this Year in Review, which pulls out just a few highlights from the wide range of work we've been doing. And thank you for your support.

Medi Selb Cf Tech -

Abdi Soltani, Executive Director ~ Beverly Tucker, Board Chair