Contact: Dotty Griffith, Public Education Director, ACLU of Texas, (512) 478-7300 x 106; [email protected]
AUSTIN - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas today announced that at its Annual Meeting and Youth Rights Conference, July 31, in Austin, it will present awards to individuals who have helped protect the civil rights of young Texans.The ACLU of Texas will honor 7-year-old A.A. of the Houston-area city of Needville; Karen Eubank, Doreen Fisher and Tracy Wallace of Dallas; and Rodrigo Domínguez Sotomayor, of Houston, with the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.
"I couldn't be more proud to have these individuals as fellow Texans," ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke said. "Our staff works very hard year round, but we must not forget that outside our offices there are individuals of all ages and from all walks of life - like the ones we will honor - working just as hard to defend and protect civil liberties for all people in our state."
This year's awards are as follows:
Youth Rights Award - A.A. for his courageous fight for religious freedom. A.A. was a 5-year-old kindergartner in the Needville Independent School District (NISD) when he was placed in in-school suspension because his parents refused to cut his long hair, part of his family's religious beliefs and heritage. A federal judge ruled in favor of the child and his family. NISD has appealed the decision.
Community Activism Award - Karen Eubank, Doreen Fisher and Tracy Wallace for their advocacy efforts with ‘Citizens against the Dallas Daytime Curfew.’ In early 2009, the Dallas City Council proposed a daytime curfew ordinance that was unfair to the vast majority of children who do not skip school, their parents and businesses. The ordinance passed, but thanks to the efforts of Karen, Doreen, Tracy and their supporters, the final version included a provision that allows for a warning before a ticket is issued. Plus, our three honorees ensured accountability was built in to the ordinance with a provision to review it after one year to gauge its effectiveness.
Champion of Civil Rights Award - Rodrigo Domínguez Sotomayor for his work in making youth rights materials available in Spanish. Rodrigo is an International Consultant with the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Earlier this year, he provided his services pro bono and translated the ACLU of Texas Youth Rights Manual - available at youthrightstx.org - into Spanish. Rodrigo's services made it possible for this valuable resource to reach a wide audience, and so that young people may know their constitutional rights.
This year's annual meeting and conference, titled Youth Rights in Texas: Sensible School Discipline, focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline, a term used for policies which funnel children out of the school system and into the state's prison system.
The meeting and conference will be headlined by Ed Burns, writer/creator/producer of HBO's acclaimed series "The Wire." A former teacher and police detective in Baltimore, Burns has been using his experiences to create positive learning environments for children.
For more about the annual meeting and conference, including schedules and registration information, please visit http://aclutx.org/annnualmeeting.
