Bagenski et al v. Miami-Dade County, Florida et al - The ACLU of Florida has filed a lawsuit challenging the “red zone” policy at the Miami Seaquarium that prevents animal rights advocates from accessing public sidewalks near the entrance to the park. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three South Floridians who have been confronted by police for advocating inside the “red zone.”

B.N.S. v. School Board of Lake County, Florida - We filed a lawsuit in May 2013 on behalf of an eighth-grade student at Carver Middle School in Leesburg who sought to form a Gay-Straight Alliance at her school.

Carver Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance v. School Board of Lake County, Florida - The ACLU and ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit in December 2013 on behalf of a seventh-grade student at Carver Middle School in Leesburg who sought to form a Gay-Straight Alliance at her school.

Gillman v. School Board for Holmes County - In the fall of 2007, students at Ponce de Leon High voiced support for a lesbian student by writing “gay pride” on their arms and notebooks or wearing rainbow-themed clothing after the principal shamed her when she reported harassment.  The principal interrogated the supportive students and censored their speech.

Hamilton v. Hall (Jail Postcard-Only Mail Policy)In July, 2010, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall instituted a Postcard-Only inmate mail policy.  The policy prohibited jail inmates from sending letters enclosed in envelopes to their parents, children, spouses, friends, other loved ones, or other correspondents.  Instead, Jail inmates had to write all of their correspondences in a postcard format except for privileged/legal mail.  This policy impermissibly restricted inmates’ ability to exercise their rights to communicate with correspondents outside the jail and these correspondents’ right to receive these inmates’ communications and expressions, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

Mech v. School Board of Palm Beach County, No. 15-10778 (11th Cir.)- Our office submitted an amicus brief on behalf of Plaintiff-Appellant David Mech who provides mobile math tutoring services under the fictitious business name, “The Happy/Fun Math Tutor.”

Reilly v. Leon Sheriff For nearly two-hundred years, the Leon County Sheriff operated a “safe and secure”  county jail and allowed inmates to receive letters from friends and family.  However, in June 2014, the Sheriff of Leon County, Florida, instituted a Postcard-Only inmate mail policy.  Pursuant to this policy, all incoming mail sent to jail inmates, except legal or privileged mail, had to be in a postcard form. The Sheriff’s Postcard-Only policy affected families, like Joe Reilly who kept in touch with his son, a jail inmate, through personal letters. Letters were essential because of the high cost of telephones and difficulty of visiting for many, including Reilly who lives in Maryland.  Reilly sued the Leon Sheriff alleging the Postcard-Only policy violated his ability to freely and substantively communicate with his son. The Sheriff rescinded the policy, but has not committed to allowing letters going forward.

State v. Burne - Mark Burne was arrested in 2011 for holding a sign, “Stranded – Broke – Hungry - Please Help - God Bless,” in violation of Escambia County’s Panhandling Ordinance.