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Youth

All young people must have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in our society.  The ACLU Youth Policy project seeks to ensure that young people – particularly those who have been historically excluded or underserved – receive meaningful education and services in communities, instead of being pushed to a juvenile justice system that will undermine their ability to be successful as adults.  Our current focus is on reforming school discipline policies and practices, working to limit school-based referrals to the juvenile justice system, and decreasing the over-reliance on jails and prisons for young people in the juvenile and adult criminal law systems.
Stop pushing special education students out of school:  ACLU of Washington lawsuit seeks to stop students who require special education from being pushed out of Washington's public schools
PSA to student protesters: You have rights!
https://www.aclu-wa.org/sites/default/files/styles/alt/public/media-images/panel-panes/take_a_knee-panel.png?itok=4drRQdCD
Prosecutors should think twice before charging teens who sext

Resources

Published: 
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
By taking a preventative rather than punitive approach, the Responsible Teen Communications Act protects teens from both the potential harms of participating in sexually suggestive online behavior and the enduring consequences of a felony conviction.

The Rights of Transgender People in Washington State

Document, Published: 
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
This brochure is designed to help transgender persons understand their legal rights in Washington State. It answers many common questions about practical legal issues encountered by transgender individuals.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Governor Inslee signed into law the Responsible Teen Communications Act (SHB 1742) which protects teenagers from felony prosecution for distribution or possession of child pornography when they make explicit messages and images of themselves (“selfies”) and share them with peers, and invests in evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies.

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