Cases

At any given time, the ACLU of RI is involved in dozens of legal battles on behalf of civil liberties in the Ocean State. Below is a list of many the cases we have worked on. For our annual case dockets, click here.

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 27, 2006

Women's Studies Organization of RIC v. Rhode Island College

First Amendment
Status: Closed

Favorably settled lawsuit challenging a college’s censorship of a campus sign display sponsored by a student women’s rights group.

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 27, 2006

Agin v. Portsmouth School Committee

Students’ Rights
Status: Closed

Lawsuit challenging a high school principal’s decision, on “zero tolerance” grounds, to ban a student from appearing in medieval garb and holding a prop broadsword for his senior yearbook photo. At the...

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 27, 2006

Doe v. Dan's Donuts

LGBTQ+ Rights
Status: Closed

The ACLU served as co-counsel in this lawsuit claiming that the plaintiff was fired from his food-serving job after his employer found out that he was gay and HIV-positive.

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 27, 2006

Estrada v. R.I. State Police

Immigrants’ Rights
Status: Closed

“Racial profiling” lawsuit challenging the hour-long detention of a van based solely on the ethnicity of the driver and passengers.

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 28, 2005

R.I. ACLU v. Najarian

Due Process
Status: Closed

Lawsuit challenging the Division of Motor Vehicles’ failure to formally adopt any rules and regulations governing the issuance of drivers’ licenses, such as the eligibility of immigrants to obtain licenses...

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Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Mar 28, 2005

R.I. ACLU v. State of Rhode Island

Immigrants’ Rights
Status: Closed

Complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming that the state has failed to provide adequate interpreter services to criminal defendants.

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