News & Commentary

Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU in Kansas, said the judge’s proposed remedies illustrated the federal court wouldn’t “tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”

DC Hiegert, LGBTQ legal fellow for the ACLU of Kansas, stated that one of the best ways to support the trans community during this time is to take action by providing aid and resources for those in need.

The constitutional avoidance defense that we're raising in this case certainly requires the attorney general to contend with arguments that he did not want to contend with and was not planning on contending with when he filed this mandamus action," she said.

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Highland Community College (HCC) in Kansas to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations that Black students, primarily student-athletes, living on HCC’s main campus experienced discriminatory treatment in many aspects of campus life, including discipline, housing and interactions with campus security officers. The complaints alleged that Black students were targeted for searches and surveillance and disciplined more severely than their white peers, resulting in their unfair removal from campus housing or even expulsion.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is urging a federal judge to impose a severe injunction against the Kansas Highway Patrol to block future violations of drivers’ constitutional rights. Under the rule, troopers would need to receive training and keep detailed records about traffic stops.

“If an injunction isn’t issued I think there’s a significant concern that the KHP will continue doing precisely the things that the court found to be unconstitutional,” Brett said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas issued a report noting wide discrepancies in how Kansas counties manage elections. 

Attorneys for the ACLU of Kansas and Attorney General Kris Kobach's office sparred in court Wednesday over the issue, which comes amid the ongoing legal dispute over the impact of a new law, Senate Bill 180.

“We are gratified that the court has seen that our clients have a vested interest in the outcome of this case, and should be entitled to make their arguments,” said Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas. “… This case is about trans Kansans’ well-being and their ability to live freely."