News & Commentary

Eyewitness accounts at demonstrations taking place in Baton Rouge and surrounding cities following the shooting of Alton Sterling brought to light the militarization of and illegal use of force by police on protesters.

We were deeply saddened by yesterday’s attacks on police officers in Baton Rouge. Our sympathies go out to the loved ones of the officers who were killed and wounded. They did nothing to deserve that heinous attack. They were simply doing their job: protecting the people of Baton Rouge. We condemn all violence towards the police. Such acts serve only to further damage the fragile relationship between the police and the people of Baton Rouge. We hope that in the coming days, the community can at last begin to heal.

Details surrounding the shooting last night of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, continue to emerge. In reaction, ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Marjorie Esman issued the following statement:

In a 5-3 decision handed down this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two Texas abortion restrictions that formed the basis for similar restrictions in Louisiana: the mandate that abortion providers have admitting privileges at local hospitals and the requirement that abortion clinics have facilities comparable to outpatient surgical centers. The ruling makes it clear that the restrictions, which also have affected women in Louisiana, place an undue burden on abortion access, and thus violated the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Lance Africk has approved a settlement to end litigation over the fate of the Orleans Justice Center, known as Orleans Parish Prison (OPP). Operational control of the jail facilities will be ceded to a “compliance director,” who will be appointed in a joint effort between Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office, the U.S. Justice Department, and the MacArthur Justice Center, which represents the inmates in the suit.

The ACLU of Louisiana has learned that the Lafayette Parish School Board is considering changing its policy requiring students to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. We urge the school board to respect the rights and beliefs of their students, and rescind the policy.

The ACLU of Louisiana applauds Governor Edwards for issuing the Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Order today (Executive Order JBE 2016-11), protecting the rights of LGBT Louisianians from discrimination while seeking state employment or services. This order is the first time Louisiana has explicitly recognized the equal rights of transgender people, and is a strong stand against bigotry.

The ACLU of Louisiana stands in full support of the 6-1 vote of the New Orleans City Council to remove statutes commemorating slavery, racism, and oppression.  With this vote, New Orleans will no longer glorify the worst of our history, and can move forward on the path toward meaningful unity.

The ACLU of Louisiana joins all those around the world who have expressed their grief, outrage, and condolences in the wake of the recent attacks in Paris, Beirut, and Baghdad. We are further dismayed by Governor Bobby Jindal’s unlawful and unenforceable attempt to bar refugees fleeing that same violence from resettling in Louisiana.