Friend –

The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." The ACLU of Alaska is committed to defending the rights of young Alaskans in public schools across the state.

Students are headed back to school starting this week, so we wanted to share some updates on our book banning lawsuit, as well as some student know-your-rights information and resources.

Dawn Adams, et. Al v. Mat-Su Borough School District

At the end of 2023, the ACLU of Alaska and Northern Justice Project filed a lawsuit against the Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) for its removal of 56 book titles from school libraries because the books contained ideas that it did not agree with.

At the beginning of 2024, we filed a preliminary injunction in this case to return the book titles to school district shelves and pause the removal of any other books while the case is ongoing. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason issued a ruling that orders nearly all of the books to be returned to school district shelves – before the start of the school year on Thursday. It's not a final ruling on the case, but it can be a litmus test for how the judge might rule when that time comes. Best of all, 49 of the 56 books will be back on school shelves in the district for the start of the school year!

Know Your Rights

Over the past year, we've seen statewide and local policies threaten, target, and exclude students through politically motivated book bans, classroom censorship, anti-trans policies, and other forms of discrimination. The ACLU of Alaska is committed to defending the rights of young Alaskans in public schools across the state. See our guidelines for knowing your rights – and how to get legal help if you feel your rights have been violated.

Messages of joy and visibility

During our last Mat-Su Action Night in Wasilla, we got together with community members to discuss the importance of visibility and joy as resistance, and to craft messages of love and belonging for the LGBTQIA2S+ community in the Mat-Su. Read about why Alaska needs queer joy and visibility on our website.

We and attendees created posters with messages of support for LGBTQIA2S+ Alaskans. Download, print, and share these posters in community spaces now!

Every student has the right to learn in an environment where they feel valued and can think for themselves. Thanks for sticking with us in the ongoing work for civil rights and justice in Alaska.

Sincerely,

ACLU of Alaska