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The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT) hosted the 11th Annual First Amendment Conference from 8:30-Noon on October 30 at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford. Over 150 students from schools across Connecticut attended the conference that focused on the rights of students to feely associate inside and outside of schools. The conference provided students an opportunity to explore the boundaries of their Constitutional rights. Speakers included Adrienne Fulco — Director of the Public Policy & Law Program at Trinity College, Micah White — a former Michigan public school student who tried to start an Atheist Club, and Catherine Crump — a National ACLU Staff Attorney.
Many schools across Connecticut are working hard to create a safe and environment where students can learn about the constitution. “According to a recent report by the Knight Foundation students are unclear about constitutionally protected First Amendment rights,” said Andrew Schneider, Executive Director of the ACLU-CT, “For example only 51% of high school students believe newspapers should be allowed to publish without government approval of stories. But research also shows that events like this conference that engage students in honest dialogue and positive development, help students understand their rights and create a better school environment.”
According to Ethel Sorokin, co-founder of CFAR, “It is important for organizations like CFAR and now the ACLU to help schools engage young people in understanding our democracy. That’s why I am so excited the ACLU will continue this conference and the legacy of the Center for First Amendment Rights.”
This was the first year the ACLU-CT facilitated the conference that was started by the Center for First Amendment Rights (CFAR). In June CFAR formally became part of the ACLU-CT. The ACLU-CT is proud to continue the legacy of CFAR by hosting the First Amendment Conference for high school students.
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