This booklet will explain many youth rights, including your rights as a public school student. Some of these may be familiar to you, others may be new. You can only stand up for your rights if you know what they are, so it is important for students and their parents to be educated about students’ rights.
Read the manual now.

La nueva versión de este informe en español será publicada pronto. Por favor consulte el informe en ingles para la más reciente información.

Este documento explicará muchos de tus derechos como joven, incluyendo tus derechos como estudiante de una escuela pública. Algunos de estos derechos te pueden resultar familiares y algunos otros pueden ser nuevos. La única manera en que puede proteger tus derechos es si sabes cuales son, por lo que es importante que los estudiantes y sus padres se encuentren educados respecto a esos derechos. Read it in Spanish now.

The annual report, Free People Read Freely, of the ACLU Foundation of Texas Banned Books Project, is now available in its 2012 edition. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week:30 Years of Liberating Literature.

The 2011-2012 report includes an exclusive interview with writer, professor and founder of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, the non-profit organization behind the Librotraficante Caravan. Read the report now.

Visit our Banned Books website to learn more.

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) Solutions Youth Justice Project released a report, Community Solutions for Youth in Trouble , this report paints a vibrant picture of juvenile justice in communities across the state.  TCJC has gotten great feedback and feels that it will be a major piece in helping sustain current juvenile justice reform within the state. Read the report now on the TCJC website.

You have a right to be safe from harassment at school.  In Texas public schools, harassment can include threats to cause you harm or bodily injury, sexually intimidating conduct, damaging your property, physically confining or restraining you, or other malicious acts like name-calling that are severe enough to substantially harm your physical or emotional health or safety. 

The Texas Education Code requires public schools to prohibit, and take steps to prevent, student harassment  Read tri-fold brochure now.

The law protects religious dress in school.  Generally, schools are allowed to impose dress codes because they have a legitimate interest in instilling discipline, teaching respect for authority, promoting hygiene, and minimizing distraction caused by unusual hair or dress.1 But the First Amendment and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA) require schools to make exceptions to their dress codes for religious dress.

Read this tri-fold brochure now.

If you think your public school has violated your rights, take action by filing a grievance.  Every public school district in Texas has its own policy on how to file a grievance against the school, usually called Board Policy FNG.2  The guidelines inside the tri-fold are based on some common policies, but you should check your own school’s policies on the district website and follow them closely. 

Read this tri-fold brochure now.

School board members make important decisions that affect children’s lives and education.

Parents, working together with board members and school administrators, can come up with innovative solutions and create successful programs.

You can help protect your child’s rights and find solutions when problems arise. Read the pamphlet.

The Texas State Board of Education is a 15-member board charged by law with overseeing the public education system in Texas.  Board of Education members make important decisions that affect children’s lives and education.

The Board of Education needs your experience and insight. Read the pamphlet now to help protect your child’s rights.

The annual report, Free People Read Freely, of the ACLU Foundation of Texas Banned Books Project, is now available in its 2011 edition, and provides information about the books that have been banned, challenged or restricted in Texas schools during the previous school year. The 2012 report will be released in September. Read the report now.

Visit our banned books website to learn more.

Use of Force in Texas Public Schools: The Case for Transparency, Accountability, and Decriminalization documents the need for transparency and accountability in the way police are used in Texas’ public schools.
Read the report now.

The Texas State Board of Education has a long track-record of abusing the discretion and power granted to it by the Texas Legislature and the people. Unfortunately, the Board’s actions have gone from bad to worse.
Read the report now.

In response to complaints from parents and students, the ACLU of Texas investigated the Gideons International organization’s distribution of selected books from the Christian Bible in Texas school districts during the 2007‐2008 and 2008‐2009 school years.
Read the report now.