News & Commentary

This classroom censorship bill is part of a nationwide effort to limit how students can learn and talk about race and sex discrimination in public schools.

By Barbara Bolling, Indiana State Conference of the NAACP President, and Jane Henegar, ACLU of Indiana Executive Director

The 2022 Indiana legislative session is in full swing and state legislators have wasted no time attacking Hoosiers’ fundamental rights.

By Roberta Schonemann, ACLU of Indiana Board Member

Following a year of high-profile police killings of Black people and ensuing historic protests against racism and police brutality, a disturbing number of schools are suppressing the First Amendment rights of students speaking out against racial injustice.

This summer, we saw Black Lives Matter protests across the state of Indiana, calling for an end to police brutality. And although the majority of these protests were peaceful, they were met by police with teargas and projectiles, ultimately leading to three ACLU of Indiana lawsuits. 

Over the past several weeks, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have seized the national spotlight and joined a proud tradition of student-led protest movements. From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, students across the country and here in Indiana have raised their voices to challenge the status quo and dismantle systems of oppression. 

On Sept. 24, Milo Smith took his daughter to an Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Cleveland Browns. Though the Colts won that day — a tragically rare occurrence this year — Smith left the game offended. During the national anthem, a group of players on both teams took a knee in reaction to President Trump’s comments two days earlier, where he called protesting players sons of bitches who should be fired by team ownership.

By Jane Henegar, Executive Director, ACLU of Indiana