Education Equity

A student in front of a chalk board

DEFENDING OUR RIGHT TO LEARN

All students have a right to an equal education, but students of color (particularly Black and Indigenous students), students with disabilities, and low-income youth have historically been marginalized, criminalized, and under-resourced by the public school system.

We will challenge unconstitutional disciplinary policies that disparately target Black students and infringe on their right to a safe learning environment. We will also support policies to increase access to underrepresented groups facing systemic higher education barriers.

All students deserve equal access to a high-quality education, a safe learning environment, and a diverse student body that enriches the educational experiences of all students.

RECENT ACTIONS

The Latest

Press Release
Images of staff interacting with the news media

ACLU Nevada Prevails in Emergency Court Hearing on Graduation Regalia Policy

The Clark County School District will send new guidance to graduating seniors and school administrators under an agreement reached with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.
Issue Areas: First Amendment, Education Equity, People Impacted by Discrimination
Court Cases: ACLU of Nevada v. Clark County School District, Falconi v. Eighth Judicial District Court, Gordon v. City of Las Vegas, McAllister v. Clark County
Press Release
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Lawsuit Seeks Justice For Student in Viral Video Who Was Brutally Attacked at Las Vegas High School

Issue Areas: Education Equity
News & Commentary
Students raising their hands in a classroom.

How Our Affiliates are Fighting for Education Equity

ACLU affiliates are challenging discriminatory discipline policies, censorship efforts, and the use of force in schools across the country.
News & Commentary
A professor holding a lecture to a group of students.

Why Access to Education is Key to Systemic Equality

Here’s how discrimination continues to impact access to safe, quality education today, and why we’re fighting to ensure all people have equal access.
Court Case
May 26, 2025

ACLU of Nevada v Clark County School District (2025)

As Southern Nevada high school seniors headed toward graduation, many of the students were at risk of having their First Amendment rights violated under a a Clark County School District policy adopted in March that added new restrictions on cap and gown decorations and banned objects and adornments that “constitute proselytizing speech.” Our civil rights attorneys say that the policy has led to individual schools creating their own guidelines, which even contradict themselves. The complaint says, for example, that Canyon Springs High School and Del Sol Academy have communicated both that all cap decorations will be banned and that students can adorn their cap with decorations that have religious or cultural significance. Las Vegas High School is going even further and requiring students to submit pictures of decorations and accessories for advance approval.