First Amendment

When we win in court, attorney’s fees help the ACLU of Utah continue litigating cases like this to protect First Amendment rights.

Public Urged to Help Defeat New Law that Would Further Censor Books in Schools

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.

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

HB517 would have made it harder for guardians, students, educators, and authors to sue to protect their First Amendment rights, as it attempted to extend government immunity to state and local officials (including school districts), prohibit class actions, and allow school districts to require guardians to sign arbitration agreements.  

HB197 sought to expand on the prior sensitive materials law, HB29, passed in 2024. This bill would have required schools to use automated filters in screening databases and other online content and to immediately ban access to materials upon a “plausible” complaint.