First Amendment

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Like the Constitution’s framers, the ACLU maintains that freedom of speech and expression, including the right to protest and petition the government, are fundamental to a democratic society. So, the ACLU of Utah is dedicated to protecting and to expanding the First Amendment freedoms of expression, association, and inquiry.

The Latest

Press Release
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Let Utah Read Event 2/13 Brings Authors and the Community Together to Defend Books

Public Urged to Help Defeat New Law that Would Further Censor Books in Schools
Issue Areas: First Amendment, State Advocacy, Student & Youth Rights
Court Cases: Vonnegut v. Utah
Press Release
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Media Advisory: Let Utah Read Annual Read-in at the Capitol on Friday, February 13

The two-hour event will feature a community reading hour followed by remarks from authors and other speakers, including Representative John Arthur and author Abdi Nazemian, whose novel Like a Love Story was banned statewide in Utah in 2025.
Issue Areas: First Amendment, Student & Youth Rights, State Advocacy
Press Release
Graphic for the ACLU of Utah that reads "press release".

Maya Angelou Estate Joins Legal Battle Against Utah’s “Sensitive Materials” Law

Plaintiff Added to Suit After Two School Districts Ban Dr. Angelou’s Pulitzer Prize-Nominated Work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings — Statewide Ban Under Consideration
Issue Areas: First Amendment, Student & Youth Rights
Court Cases: Vonnegut v. Utah
Podcast
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Books Being Banned

ACLU of Massachusetts featured our case, Vonnegut v. Utah, on their podcast Civil Liberities Minute. Listen now.
Campaign
Sep 2025

Protecting Your Rights Means Protecting Everyone’s Rights In The Classroom

Every student deserves a classroom where their rights are respected—no exceptions. Our Back to School campaign is about making sure young people know their rights and have the tools to defend them: free speech, religious freedom, immigrant rights, and protection from discrimination. When schools try to silence or exclude even one student, it threatens the rights of us all. Protecting your rights means protecting everyone’s rights in the classroom—and we’re here to make sure that happens.