ACLU Parent Theme

Design system components available to the National and Affiliate sites.

Global Elements

The "Foundations" section outlines the color tokens, typography styles, grids, and spacing rules used throughout the design system.


Colors


Colorways

Colorways are color relationships between background colors, text, buttons and other elements. Using a block with a different colorway can help break up a longer page or change the tone.

Development notes: defined in tokens/src/color .tokens.json, and global/bundles/common/styles/CSS/_elements/colorways .css. Variable names: .color-primary in CSS: var(--color-primary) and .color-secondary in CSS: var(--color-secondary)

colorway-dark-navy

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-dark-burgundy

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-white

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-cream

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-red

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-blue

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-light-azure

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-light-orange

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-dark-purple

color-primary

color-secondary

colorway-offblack

color-primary

color-secondary


Typography

Use headings to improve scan-ability and provide context for users to better understand the page. Headings also help structure page content for screen readers and search engines. Headings should be logically structured on a page using proper hierarchy, headings are ranked 'h1' through 'h6'. A page starts with the H1 heading, which describes a page's main topic— the title of the page. Subsections can be organized with 'h2 level headings. Those subsections can themselves be divided with 'h3' level headings, and so on.

Defined in global/bundles/common/styles/_elements/typography.css. Use classes in twig templates to apply styles.


Header styles

.is-heading.is-special-size-90

.is-heading.is-size-1

.is-heading.is-size-2

.is-heading.is-size-3

.is-heading.is-size-4

.is-heading.is-size-5

.is-heading.is-special-size-21

.is-heading.is-size-2 uppercase

.is-heading.is-size-4 uppercase

.is-heading.is-size-5 uppercase


Text styles

.is-body.is-size-4 font-bold

.is-body.is-size-5 font-bold

.is-body.is-size-6 font-bold

.is-body.is-size-7 font-bold

.is-body.is-special-size-21 font-bold

.is-body.is-size-4

.is-body.is-size-5

.is-body.is-size-6

.is-body.is-size-7

.is-body.is-special-size-21

Serif

.is-body-serif.is-size-5

.is-body-serif.is-size-6

.is-body-serif.is-size-7

Formatted text

Text wrapped in the class ".text-formatted". Strong text . Italic text . And a link.

This embed will serve content from {{ domain }}. See our privacy statement

Spacing

Spacing values define the space between elements on the page. This can include space between buttons, between columns of text, or around an image. Setting a scale of sizes helps the page to feel cohesive and considered.

All of the margin, padding and height classes use generated from these base values. They are also available as css and tailwind variables.
Vertical component spacing classes include: .block-spacing--default, .block-spacing--sm, .block-spacing--lg classes define block-level spacing.

Tokens defined in tokens/src/spacer.tokens.json. See tokens/src/spacer-tokens.json for definitions. CSS custom property name: --spacer-[size]

0

0 rem

(0 px)

1

.25 rem

(4 px)

2

.5 rem

(8 px)

3

.75 rem

(12 px)

4

1 rem

(16 px)

6

1.5 rem

(24 px)

7

1.75 rem

(28 px)

8

2 rem

(32 px)

10

2.5 rem

(40 px)

11

2.75 rem

(44 px)

12

3 rem

(48 px)

14

3.5 rem

(56 px)

16

4 rem

(64 px)

20

5 rem

(80 px)

24

6 rem

(96 px)


Grids

Developer notes: Defined in tailwind-grids.json. Use "site-container p-site" for site container and site-wide side padding

.grid

.grid.grid-cols-2.gap-default

.grid.grid-cols-3.gap-default

grid.grid-cols-4.gap-default

grid.grid-cols-5.gap-default

grid.grid-cols-12.gap-default .col-span-4 .col-span-8

Atoms

The “Atoms” section defines small UI components in the design system including buttons, badges, and icons.


Badges

tag-alert

Join Us

Icons

Verified icons and their labels can be found in atoms/icons.php.

Action
Campaign
Court Case
Chapter
Document
Event
FOIA Collection
Initiative
Job & Opportunity
Know Your Rights
Legislation
News & Commentary
Resource
Petition
News & Commentary
Podcast
Press Release
Publication

Form input

See also: Form molecules.

Molecules

The “Molecules” section outlines larger UI elements throughout the design system including section titles and cards that can display a variety of content. These elements are often seen in multiple organisms or sections of your site. For example, a card may appear on an archive page in a listing as well as in a featured content component.


Button with Dropdown

global/template-parts/molecules/btn-with-dropdown

To display this component in a Section Title, pass in `show_filter` as true, and the `filter` details array to the `section-title` molecule.

This is a description for the section title.


Button with Modal (mobile only)

global/template-parts/molecules/btn-with-modal


Clear Filter Button

global/template-parts/molecules/btn-clear-filter


Form: Email

global/template-parts/molecules/form-email

Form: input states across colorways

global/template-parts/atoms/form-input

Form: email

global/template-parts/molecules/form-email/display/form-email--display





Policy Notice

global/template-parts/molecules/policy-notice


Section Title

global/template-parts/molecules/section-title

Section Title

Section Title w/description

This is a description of the section title. It can be used to provide more context to the user.


Social: Share

global/template-parts/molecules/social--share


Social: Nav

global/template-parts/molecules/social--nav



Card: Person Author

global/template-parts/molecules/card--author

Placeholder image

Simon McCormack

Senior Writer

he/him/his

Placeholder image

Simon McCormack

Senior Writer

he/him/his


Card: Person - minimal

global/template-parts/molecules/card--person-minimal

Person Name

Card: Person

global/template-parts/molecules/card--person

Placeholder image

Person Name

Placeholder image

Person Name


Card: Person - full bio

global/template-parts/molecules/card--person-full-bio

Placeholder image

Role Type

Person Name

Pronouns: she/her

Title

Department

Organization


Card: Action

global/template-parts/molecules/card--action

placeholder image
Action

Fight for Trans Youth Healthcare Access


Card: Common

global/template-parts/molecules/card--common

Campaign
Placeholder image

Card title

Status label: Ongoing
Podcast
Placeholder image

Card title

Status label: Ongoing
Placeholder image

Card title



Card: News

global/template-parts/molecules/card--news

Placeholder image

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur eget imperdiet libero, quis ultricies tellus. Sed imperdiet felis eu rutrum elementum.

Author Name


Card: News (md)

global/template-parts/molecules/card--news-md

Placeholder image

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Author Name


Card: Press Release

global/template-parts/molecules/card--press-release

Card title

Author Name


Card: Spotlight

global/template-parts/molecules/card--spotlight

Card title


Placeholder image

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.


Card: Listing News small

global/template-parts/molecules/card--listing--news-sm

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur eget imperdiet libero, quis ultricies tellus. Sed imperdiet felis eu rutrum elementum.
Placeholder image

Card: Listing

global/template-parts/molecules/card--listing

Campaign
Sep 2023
Placeholder image
  • Issue|
  • +3 Issues

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur eget imperdiet libero, quis ultricies tellus. Sed imperdiet felis eu rutrum elementum.
Status label: Ongoing

Card: Listing News

global/template-parts/molecules/card--listing--news

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur eget imperdiet libero, quis ultricies tellus. Sed imperdiet felis eu rutrum elementum.

Placeholder image

Card: Listing Press

global/template-parts/molecules/card--listing--press

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur eget imperdiet libero, quis ultricies tellus. Sed imperdiet felis eu rutrum elementum.
Status label: Ongoing

Card: Listing date-first (sm)

global/template-parts/molecules/card--listing--date-first--small


Filter Collection

global/template-parts/molecules/filter-collection


Components

Components available on all pages. They can be used to build entire page layouts in dynamic ways.


Banner: Global

global/template-parts/organisms/components/banner--global/display/banner--global--display



Cards: Latest Content

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--latest-content/display/cards--latest-content--display

Latest Content

This is a description of the featured content. It can be used to provide more context to the user.

Press Release
Placeholder image

Card title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Press Release
Placeholder image

Card title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Press Release
Placeholder image

Card title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Press Release
Placeholder image

Card title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.


Cards: Listing

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--listing/display/cards--listing--display

Sample Heading

This is a description of the listing content. It can be used to provide more context to the user.

News & Commentary
Feb 04, 2025
Placeholder image

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
News & Commentary
Feb 04, 2025
Placeholder image

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Cards: Small Date First Listing

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--listing--date-first--small/display/cards--listing--date-first--small--display

Sample Heading

This is a description of the featured content. It can be used to provide more context to the user.


Cards: News Listing

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--listing--news/display/cards--listing--news--display

Latest Content

This is a description of the featured content. It can be used to provide more context to the user.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Placeholder image

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Placeholder image

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Placeholder image

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Placeholder image

Cards: News Md

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--news-md/display/cards--news-md--display

Sample Heading

This is a description of the listing content. It can be used to provide more context to the user.

Placeholder image

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Author Name

Placeholder image

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Author Name

Placeholder image

Card title

Teaser text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Author Name


Cards: Press Releases

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--press-releases/display/cards--press-releases--display

Press Releases

Card title

Author Name

Card title

Author Name

Card title

Author Name


Cards: Person (minimal)

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cards--person-minimal/display/cards--person-minimal--display

Person (minimal)

Person Name
Person Name
Person Name



CTA: Email Capture

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cta--email-capture/display/cta--email-capture--display


CTA: Alert Bar

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cta--alert-bar/display/cta--alert-bar--display


CTA: Slim

global/template-parts/organisms/components/cta--slim/display/cta--slim--display

If you've been discriminated against based on lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur est, the ACLU wants to hear about it.

If you've been discriminated against based on lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur est, the ACLU wants to hear about it.

Optional description text.

Hero: Title on Color

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--title-on-color/display/hero--title-on-color--display

Page or Content Title

Description text. Summarize the civil liberties issue, focusing on its impact, relevant laws, and the ACLU's response. Keep the description clear and concise, ensuring it's accessible to a broad audience.

Without description, breadcrumbs or social.


Hero: Title Metadata

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--title-metadata/display/hero--title-metadata--display


Hero: Homepage

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--homepage/display/hero--homepage--display

Email Signup, Blue

Make a local impact

Support ACLU Texas’ Fight for Justice

Your donation amplifies the voice of liberty in Texas. Together, we can champion the causes of equality, freedom, and justice in our own backyard.

homepage hero image

Email Signup, Red

Make a local impact

Support ACLU Texas’ Fight for Justice

Your donation amplifies the voice of liberty in Texas. Together, we can champion the causes of equality, freedom, and justice in our own backyard.

homepage hero image

Donate, Blue

Make a local impact

Support ACLU Texas’ Fight for Justice

Your donation amplifies the voice of liberty in Texas. Together, we can champion the causes of equality, freedom, and justice in our own backyard.

homepage hero image

Donate, Red

Make a local impact

Support ACLU Texas’ Fight for Justice

Your donation amplifies the voice of liberty in Texas. Together, we can champion the causes of equality, freedom, and justice in our own backyard.

homepage hero image

Hero: 404 Page

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--404/display/hero--404--display

Page Not Found

Sorry, we couldn’t find this page. There may have been a typo or a broken link. Try searching to find what you were looking for.

Some things you can do:

Person holding a Dissent is Patriotic sign

Without buttons.

Page Not Found

Sorry, we couldn’t find this page. There may have been a typo or a broken link. Try searching to find what you were looking for.

Person holding a Dissent is Patriotic sign

Hero: Issue Detail

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--issue-detail/display/hero--issue-detail--display

Issue Detail

Description text. Summarize the civil liberties issue, focusing on its impact, relevant laws, and the ACLU's response. Keep the description clear and concise, ensuring it's accessible to a broad audience.
Placeholder image

Issue Detail Hero with Facts.

Issue Detail

Description text. Summarize the civil liberties issue, focusing on its impact, relevant laws, and the ACLU's response. Keep the description clear and concise, ensuring it's accessible to a broad audience.
Placeholder image

What you need to know

Fact 1

Description of Fact 1

Fact 2

Description of Fact 2

Fact 3

Description of Fact 3


Hero: Legislation Detail

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--legislation-detail/display/hero--legislation-detail--display

Page or Content Title

  • Status: Active
  • Bill number: SB 322
  • Session: 2023
  • Latest Update: July 12, 2023
Placeholder image

Hero: Podcast Detail

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--podcast-detail/display/hero--podcast-detail--display

Placeholder image

"Lighting money on fire:" The vast dysfunction of the death penalty

July 25, 2023

42:55 mins

Hero: Overlay

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--overlay/display/hero--overlay--display

Placeholder image

Be Known: Supporting Black and LGBTQ+ Communities

An optional subhead.

Hero: Sidebar

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--sidebar/display/hero--sidebar--display

  • Home >
  • Press Releases

Heading

Medical decisions should be made between patients (and their parents) and their doctors – not politicians. Ask your legislators to support freedom as family value in 2024!


Hero: Sidebar Bio

global/template-parts/organisms/components/hero--sidebar-bio/display/hero--sidebar-bio--display

Placeholder image

ACLU Minnesota Staff

Catherine Ahlin-Halverson

Pronouns: she/her/hers


Search Dropdown

global/template-parts/organisms/components/search-dropdown/display/search-dropdown--display


Flexible-components

Flexible-components available on all pages. They can be used to build entire page layouts in dynamic ways.


Accordion

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/accordion/display/accordion--display


Audio

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/audio/display/audio--display

Test Audio Component

Buttons

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/buttons/display/buttons--display


Content Collection

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/content-collection/display/content-collection--display

Content Collection: Grid Display

Content Collection: List Display



Divider

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/divider/display/divider--display

Divider style: hr


Divider style: clear



Heading

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/heading/display/heading--display

Heading Two

Has a subhead with the headline

Heading Two with Colormark on Top

Has a subhead with the headline

Heading Three

Has a subhead with the headline lorem ipsum dolor sit amet speculo fabulous symbat

Heading Four

Heading Two

Has a subhead with the headline

Heading Two with Colormark on Top

Has a subhead with the headline

Heading Three

Has a subhead with the headline lorem ipsum dolor sit amet speculo fabulous symbat

Heading Four


Migrated content Heading example

Some migrated content comes in with a hr.mark and h2.with-mark


iFrame

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/iframe/display/iframe--display

This embed will serve content from {{ domain }}. See our privacy statement

Image/Video Collection

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/image-video-collection/display/image-video-collection--display

Image/Video Collection: Grid Display

This is the description for the Image Collection: Grid Display

Image/Video Collection: Carousel Display

This is the description for the Image Collection: Carousel Display


Infogram

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/infogram/display/infogram--display


Instagram

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/instagram/display/instagram--display


Migrated Content

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/migrated/display/migrated--display

Below is a table with two columns, representing the wide array of things that could be put in the migrated component.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Notice

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/notice/display/notice--display

Heading text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

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  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Heading text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Heading text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Heading text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.


Podcast

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/podcast/display/podcast--display

This is the Podcast Title

Pull Quote

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/pullquote/display/pullquote--display

The tone should be authoritative yet approachable, encouraging reader engagement and understanding.
— - Quote source, full width
The tone should be authoritative yet approachable, encouraging reader engagement and understanding.
— - Quote source, aligned left
The tone should be authoritative yet approachable, encouraging reader engagement and understanding.
— - Quote source, aligned right

Text

global/template-parts/organisms/flexible-components/text/display/text--display

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis. Vel in ultricies vel fringilla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Ultrices praesent amet ipsum justo massa. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc at feugiat consequat purus. Non massa enim vitae

  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

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  • duis mattis
  • Vel in ultricies
  • vel fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper mattis lorem non. Non massa enim vitae duis mattis.

  1. Ultrices praesent amet
  2. Ipsum justo massa
  3. Eu dolor aliquet risus gravida nunc

Left-aligned, 1/3 width image followed by a Text component

Caption, width
Credit
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Timeline

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Founding and Early Work

In 1958, spurred by the political environment created by the McCarthy hearings and the blossoming Civil Rights Movement in the south, Adam Mickey Duncan, an attorney and a member of the Utah House of Representatives, helped secure the charter for the ACLU of Utah from the national ACLU. He and co-founders Spencer W. Kimball, Dean of the University of Utah Law School, and Stephen Smoot were tireless advocates of racial equality, separation of church and state, and free speech.

1958-1969

  • Succeeded in challenging the police "sweep" policies that rounded up individuals from Indigenous, Latinx, and Black neighborhoods as "suspects" whenever a petty crime was committed.
  • Lobbied the Utah Legislature to enact a bill guaranteeing equal access to public accommodations.
  • Joined the national ACLU in challenging the reclassification of students by draft boards as punishment for participating in anti-war protest.
  • Worked to protect prison inmates against sexual assaults, challenged prayer in public schools, and fought laws that prohibited the inclusion of minor political parties on ballots, racial discrimination in private clubs, and ordinances banning X-rated theatres.

1970-1979

The Utah affiliate continued to work on groundbreaking civil liberties issues despite not having a paid staff until 1976. During this time the ACLU of Utah:

  • Appealed of the conviction of a woman charged with selling "obscene" books, even though most of the books also happened to be already available at the time at the Provo City Library. The ACLU of Utah also successfully appealed a Utah Supreme Court ruling that denied unemployment benefits to a Utah woman after being fired while she was pregnant.
  • Brought to court an allegation of police brutality in the "Terrace Ballroom incident" after police set dogs on a crowd to break up a social gathering put on by members of the Hispanic community at the Terrace Ballroom.
  • Took up cases on prayer in public schools, a legal battle on the constitutionality of allowing high schools students to receive credit for religious instruction at local LDS seminaries, and voting rights for students at the Job Corps and the Intermountain Intertribal Indian School.
  • Challenged of the execution of Gary Gilmore on the principal that the death penalty was a barbarous act that violated an individual's eighth amendment rights that protected an individual from cruel or unusual punishment.

1980-1989

The 1980's saw the continued growth of the organization with involvement in key discrimination, 1st Amendment, 4th Amendment, reproductive freedom, and equal protection issues. Specifically the ACLU of Utah:

  • Fought on behalf of women against employment discrimination based on gender and religion.
  • Challenged the 1983 Cable Television Programming Decency Act, which was based on a vague definition of "community standards" when dealing with content. The Utah Supreme Court voided the law after the United States Congress passed a bill stating that the regulation of cable content was the responsibility of the FCC and not within the powers of states.
  • Fought for the free speech rights of University of Utah students holding protests to call for the university's divestment in South Africa over apartheid.
  • Challenged a Salt Lake City anti-youth loitering ordinance because the law was vague and had the potential to be arbitrarily used to discriminate against individuals with unorthodox lifestyles.
  • Lobbied against laws that would allow EMTs to test their patients for AIDS and required people to be tested for AIDS after being arrested for disorderly conduct.
  • Defended the right of the AIDS Foundation to pass out condoms and educational materials in public spaces.
  • Defended the rights of LGBT individuals in the cases of a young man entrapped by a decoy employed by the BYU Security Office, and a challenge to the firing of a gay employee of the University of Utah Medical Center after he informed his supervisor that he would appear on a televised documentary about gays in the LDS Church.
  • Defended reproductive rights and a woman's right to choose In the case of Reynolds v. Reynolds, in which a divorcing couple fought over the custody of their unborn child when the pregnant mother opted for an abortion. Despite appeals by the father, the abortion was successfully performed.
  • Appealed a ruling by a Vernal district judge that a divorced graduate student must keep her married name because it was the same as her child's.
  • Challenged the practice of holding prayer during Salt Lake City council and Salt Lake County commission meetings in Salt Lake County, a practice that blurs the line between church and state.
  • Effectively worked to improve medical conditions in Utah prisons that were plagued with overcrowding and whose medical facilities often failed to meet federal standards.
  • Successfully fought against the practice of strip and body cavity searching of women booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on minor violations.
  • Won the right of Native American prisoners to build sweat lodges and hold ceremonies as a freedom of religion issue.

1990-1999

The 1990s saw a focus on freedom of religion and separation of church and state; conditions in prisons and detention centers; reproductive freedom; and student and LGBT rights. During this decade the ACLU of Utah:

  • Challenged two school districts over the practice of prayer at graduation ceremonies, claiming the practice of prayer in public schools amounted to a government promotion of religion and violated the Utah State constitution. When legislators later moved to rewrite the state constitution with regards to the government's involvement with religious affairs, aggressive lobbying by the ACLU of Utah delayed passage of final legislation for a year.
  • Reached a settlement with the Utah State Department of Corrections that placed restrictions on overcrowding in the prisons. The state subsequently agreed to establish a mental health facility for prisoners, and to improve medical and mental health care for all prisoners.
  • Helped and inmate receive the AIDS medication she was denied in prison.
  • Advocated for improved conditions in juvenile corrections facilities, reducing overcrowding and separating individuals based on the severity of their crimes.
  • Fought against a bill that criminalized abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or extreme medical necessity, and required a woman to seek a doctor's approval of their decision.
  • Stopped the practice of requiring individuals to show proof of citizenship and legal residency at hospitals and after being stopped for minor traffic violations.
  • Successfully challenged an illegal secret meeting of many members of the Utah State Senate, the focus of which was a gay- and lesbian-bashing discussion and film screening.
  • Won a lawsuit against the State Board of Education for prohibiting gay, lesbian, and straight support groups, and against the Nebo School District on behalf of a teacher who, after she revealed that she is a lesbian, was fired as volleyball coach and received a memo from the district instructing her not to discuss her personal life with students, parents, or other employees.

2000-2009

During the first decade of the new century, the Utah affiliate continued to expand its infrastructure, staff, and membership while taking on cases and addressing issues of vital importance to civil liberties in the state. The ACLU of Utah:

  • Represented Mani King, a man of Indian-Sikh descent, who was pulled over, detained and searched by Utah Highway Patrol without probable cause, perhaps on account of his race. The case settled favorably out of court.
  • Opposed a Division of Child and Family Services policy requiring that all adults in an adoptive home to be related by blood, adoption, or marriage, effectively prohibiting any gay, lesbian, or unmarried heterosexual couple from adopting.
  • Fought for government transparency after the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission held two "emergency" meetings by telephone to revise a proposed rule targeting alcohol advertising that depicts religious figures, symbols, or themes. The meetings violated Utah's open and public meetings laws.
  • Defended Wendy Weaver, a teacher who faced a lawsuit that sought to ban her from teaching, simply because she had challenged a gag order that prohibited her from discussing her sexual orientation in or outside of the classroom.
  • Filed suit on behalf of the Humane Society of Utah to force the Utah Wildlife Board to abide by the Open and Public Meetings Act in its decision to endorse a state ballot initiative.
  • Sought GRAMA records from, and negotiated with, the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command to ensure that vital public forum areas would remain open to protesters during the 2002 Winter Olympics and organized teams of legal observers to be at all organized free speech events during the Olympics.
  • Appealed on behalf of Kristin Foote, a woman with a slight speech impediment who was believed by police to be under the influence of drugs, and subsequently detained and strip-searched. Foote had sued, claiming violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Fought to uphold freedom of speech and separation of church and state in two cases involving the Main Street plaza. In the first case, the downtown block of Main Street between North and South Temple was sold to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was granted the right to broadcast its own messages and ban all other viewpoints. The ACLU successfully argued that because of Main Street's unique role in Salt Lake City's history and its ongoing use as a public thoroughfare, it continues to be a public forum. The second case occurred when the city council voted to swap the plaza's public easement for land owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the west side of town and funds to create a new community center. The ACLU challenged this decision on the grounds that it violated free speech rights and represented an unconstitutional endorsement of the LDS Church.
  • Challenged an Ogden city ordinance that banned all interior or exterior signs, displays, and graffiti from vacant buildings. The ACLU believed the ordinance was not being applied in a content-neutral, instead being used to restrict the speech of Bruce Edwards, who was involved in a series of disputes with city officials.
  • Defended Fourth Amendment rights in the case of Judith Regan, an out-of-state reporter who was detained and strip-searched after refusing to a sign a traffic ticket that required her to be in Utah for a court date at a time that she knew she would not be in the state.
  • Provided legal support to a lawsuit challenging a voter-approved law that made English the official language of Utah. A district court subsequently limited the law, ensuring that that government agencies do not deny language minorities equal access to government processes, programs, and services.
  • Brought lawsuits on behalf of students seeking to form gay-supportive student clubs at East High School. To prevent the GSA clubs from meeting, the Salt Lake City School District had banned all student clubs not related to curriculum. After five years of legal battles, the Salt Lake School Board reverse the district's extreme policies, making the district a forum in which students can express gay-positive viewpoints and help create a safer school environment for lesbian and gay youth.
  • Successfully fought to overturn a 2001 law targeted at animal rights activists by prohibiting what legislators called "commercial terrorism." The definition of this term included a substantial amount of constitutionally protected expression and applied to any person and any business.
  • Supported the right to personal privacy in the case of Salt Lake City v. Keith Roberts. Roberts had been arrested for public lewdness, but argued that the police had violated the "plain view" rule. The Utah Supreme Court ruled that because Roberts had taken reasonable steps to shield his activities from public view, the city could not apply the "plain view" doctrine to the public lewdness code.
  • Defended Ian Lake, a 16-year-old who was charged with criminal libel over a website he created that parodied his Milford High School teachers and classmates. The First Amendment prohibits government censorship of free speech, and past Utah statutes purporting to punish statements made with "ill will" have consistently been overturned. As a result of this case, the Utah Supreme Court declared the state's criminal libel law unconstitutional.
  • Challenged the constitutionality of a Draper City ordinance placing durational time limits on political signs based on their content. In response to the ACLU's lawsuit requesting a temporary injunction, Draper City announced that it would not enforce the ordinance through Election Day 2004, and subsequently agreed to repeal the ordinance.
  • Filed an amicus brief in support of Salt Lake City's 2005 executive order extending benefits to domestic and same-sex partners. The ACLU's public policy arguments in favor of the benefits ultimately overrode concerns by the state the benefits may be in conflict with the Utah law prohibiting same-sex marriage, when the Third District Court upheld the benefits plan.
  • Fought against gender discrimination in the case of a woman who was fired by the Utah Transit Administration after revealing that she is a transsexual.
  • Represented the family of David Walker in a suit charging the Orem and Pleasant Grove Police Departments and the Utah County Sheriff's Department with excessive force and unlawful detention in an incident that resulted in Walker's fatal shooting by police. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals would conclude that the officers had violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits illegal searches and seizures, when they detained Walker's family following the shooting.
  • Strongly advocated for the rights of students to free speech and expression, informing Washington County School District in 2009 that it must allow Gay Straight Alliance clubs at its high schools or be in violation of the Equal Access Act. Since then, four 4 GSAs have been established in Washington County, and the number of GSAs statewide has more than doubled.
  • Defended participatory democracy in two cases against state efforts to limit election access. The ACLU represented 2010 gubernatorial candidate Farley Anderson, who successfully challenged the state's rejection of his ballot petition signatures, most of which were "e-signatures." Although the Utah Supreme Court upheld the validity of e-signatures in ballot petitions, Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell refused to count e-signatures that were collected as part of an effort to repeal 2011 bill, H.B. 477, through referendum. The ACLU challenged Bell's invocation of a past election law that contained a blanket ban on any e-signature, arguing that S.B. 165 is unconstitutional in wake of the Utah Supreme Court's decision in Anderson v. Bell.

2010-2019

  • Fought for criminal defendants’ right to receive discovery materials in their pending cases, ending Salt Lake County’s practice of charging unlimited fees.
  • Opposed HB 477 in 2011, which would have violated the state and federal constitutional rights of Utah voters and dangerously invalidated sections of GRAMA.
  • With the National Immigration Law Center, successfully blocked the implementation of Utah’s “show me your papers” law, which invited the racial profiling of Latinos.
  • Along with a coalition of community partners, argued against an unconstitutional 2012 law aimed to regulate internet speech that may be considered to be “harmful to minors,” and preserved Utahns’ freedom of speech.
  • Defended the First Amendment rights of a Utah driver who made an obscene gesture at an Orem City Police officer and was issued a citation, and prompted the Orem City Police Department to continue First Amendment protection education in its annual training.
  • Filed a successful lawsuit against the Davis School District after elementary schools in the district were instructed to remove a children’s book about a family with same-sex parents from library shelves.
  • Successfully repealed a Brigham City Ordinance that violated free speech protections and required a permit for almost any conceivable form of public expression.
  • Filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of prisoners at the Utah State Prison, who suffered health concerns and were subjected to prolonged exposure to noxious gas after corrections officers released tear gas that entered the air ventilation system and seeped into over 150 inmates’ cells.
  • With community partners, the ACLU filed an successful appeal against Ogden City’s “gang injunction,” which imposed stringent and unconstitutional restrictions on any citizens that the police decided, without prior judicial oversight, were members of a “gang.”
  • Represented the plaintiffs in a suit in which the Federal District Court in Utah struck down UDOT’s insurance and indemnification requirements, which violated the United States Constitution’s protection of freedom of speech.
  • Submitted a “friend of the court” brief to support the case calling for heightened scrutiny to be placed on any law that discriminates against same-sex couples and their families, and supported the legalization of same sex marriage in Utah.
  • Maintained the unconstitutionality of Salt Lake County Jail’s policy of holding individuals indefinitely who could not prove, to the satisfaction of jail officials, that they are lawfully present in the United States. The ACLU of Utah argued that this policy deprived people of their personal liberty without due process of law.
  • Filed class action lawsuit challenging Utah’s HB 497, which would have allowed police to arrest certain potentially deportable immigrants and would have criminalized everyday activities, such as driving an undocumented immigrant to the store.
  • Worked with Equality Utah and the LDS Church to successfully lobby for SB 296, which expanded anti-discrimination laws to protect Utah’s LGBTQ citizens and ensured that no one can be fired or disciplined at work for their speech or expression outside of work on matters including those related to marriage, family or sexuality.
  • Successfully sued on behalf of Angie and Kami Roe, a married same-sex couple, to both be recognized as the legal parents of their child.
  • Challenged Farmington City’s “free speech” ordinance that prohibited public expression and barred the Utah Animal Rights Coalition from freely protesting.
  • Lobbied for HB 300, which sets forth basic standards for the responsible use of body cameras by law enforcement agencies across the state of Utah.
  • Submitted an official request that the video footage of the shooting of Abdi Mohamed by the Salt Lake City Police Department be released to the public under GRAMA.
  • Brought a successful federal lawsuit on behalf of three West High School students against school and police defendants over a “gang operation” conducted at the school during school hours, during which dozens of students were detained and interrogated about alleged gang affiliation. The students documented and photographed “mug-shot” style by the police did not commit a crime, and all were of Latino, African-American, or Pacific Island decent.
  • Defended the voting rights of members of the Navajo Nation and challenged San Juan County’s decision to switch to a mail-only voting system and designating the only location for in-person voting in Monticello, a decision that adversely impacts Navajo voters.
  • Asserted Utahans’ right to access legal counsel, advocated for the reform of Utah’s troubled indigent defense system, and filed a class action lawsuit against the state of Utah for failing to fulfill the guarantees of the Sixth Amendment.

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