NYCLU Victory in Class Action Lawsuit Protects Student Voting Rights in Presidential Election

November 5, 2012 — November 5, 2012 — College students who registered to vote but had their applications denied by Republican Commissioner Erik Haight will be able to vote in tomorrow's presidential election, a federal district court judge ruled from the bench late Monday afternoon.

The decision by Judge Kenneth Karas is the result of a class action lawsuit filed Thursday by four college students against the Dutchess County Board of Elections to protect the fundamental right to vote.

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College Students Sue Dutchess County to Remove Barrier to Student Voting in Presidential Election

November 1, 2012 — Four college students have filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Dutchess County Board of Elections to protect the fundamental right to vote in next week's presidential election. The students -- who attend the Culinary Institute of America, Marist College and Bard College -- registered to vote and provided both street and mailing addresses, but had their applications denied by Republican Commissioner Erik Haight because they either did not provide the technical name of their dormitory buildings or their room numbers on their applications. Approximately 100 students were similarly denied the right to register for the same reason.

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NYCLU, Brennan Center Urge Dutchess County to Remove Barrier to Voter Registration for Local College Students

October 11, 2012 – The New York Civil Liberties Union and the Brennan Center for Justice today urged Dutchess County Board of Elections Commissioner Erik Haight to stop requiring Bard College and Culinary Institute of America students to identify the names of their dormitories on voter registration forms.

“This is a needless requirement that advances no conceivable interest,” NYCLU Legal Director Arthur Eisenberg said. “It imposes an unconstitutional burden on the fundamental right of college students to vote as residents of their college communities, where they are affected by the decisions of local officials and which they regard as their primary places of residence.”

The NYCLU received reports that Commissioner Haight is refusing to process the voter registration forms submitted by students of the two colleges who live in dormitories if the forms do not identify the specific names of the students’ dormitories.

In a letter sent today to Commissioner Haight, the NYCLU lays out federal case law establishing college students’ fundamental right to vote in their college communities. Any policy or practice that significantly burdens students’ voting rights can only be sustained if found necessary to advance a compelling interest. But there is no compelling interest in the requirement that students provide their dormitory’s name in addition to an address.

“Providing the street addresses of their dormitories sufficiently demonstrates that college students qualify as residents of their Dutchess County communities,” said Lee Rowland of the Brennan Center. “It would be ludicrous if the New York City Board of Elections disqualified the registration of voters who give the street addresses of their apartment buildings but don’t identify that they live in ‘the Dakota’ or ‘the San Remo.’ This situation is no different.”
 

NYCLU Calls on New Paltz to Drop Charges Against Occupy Protesters

July 17, 2012 — The New York Civil Liberties Union has called on the Village of New Paltz to drop trespassing charges against four Occupy New Paltz protesters who were arrested at Hasbrouck Park after the Village Board of Trustees and Mayor Jason West imposed a series of conflicting, unwritten and unconstitutional requirements on them.

Those requirements ultimately led to the protesters’ arrests after Mayor West purported to revoke permission that the board had given them to encamp in the public park 24 hours a day.

"Prosecuting these peaceful protesters shows a serious disregard for the right to free expression," said Daniel Berger, director of the NYCLU’s Lower Hudson Valley Chapter. "Village officials admirably accommodated free speech in the past, and we are hopeful they will once again show their commitment to the First Amendment by dismissing these charges and working out an agreement with the demonstrators that respects their constitutional rights.

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Civil Rights Lawsuit Seeks Justice for Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr.

A federal lawsuit filed July 2 seeks justice for Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old Marine Corps veteran who was fatally shot in his home in November 2011 by an officer of the White Plains Police Department.

Police arrived at Chamberlain’s door after the elderly man’s medical alert device was accidentally triggered. The medical device recorded audio from the racially-charged stand-off – during which an officer can be heard using the N-word against Chamberlain.

“The tragic killing of Mr. Chamberlain makes plain the pressing need for appropriate accountability and transparency for the White Plains Police Department and law enforcement agencies throughout Westchester County,” NYCLU Lower Hudson Valley Chapter Director Daniel E. Berger said.

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Meet Dan Berger, the New Lower Hudson Valley Chapter Director

Almost a month into the job, I am both humbled and honored to take part in such essential, exhilarating work at this critical time.

Historical threats to our fundamental freedoms remain, while emerging challenges demand a fresh approach from committed civil libertarians. Not a day passes that we do not learn of a new affront to the principles of liberty enshrined in our federal and state constitutions. Some of these threats, like voter suppression or police misconduct, we've confronted for decades, while others, like electronic surveillance and data mining, are recent manifestations of government overreach enabled by fast-moving innovations. And though new technologies bring with them novel challenges, they also represent unparalleled opportunities for outreach, organization, and the development of a more informed, active and free population.

As noted civil libertarian Mark Twain observed, "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme." There will always be grave danger posed by the desire of the few with power to restrict the rights of the many without, as well as a base acquiescence in some to sacrifice basic liberty in the name of nominal security. And so there will always be a need for groups like the NYCLU to defend and expand our freedoms, and to educate the next generation of liberty's vital importance.

A graduate of Poughkeepsie's Vassar College with nearly 10 years of experience at the ACLU in a variety of roles, I look forward to learning more of our community and the challenges that lie ahead as we work toward a unified vision of greater freedom in the Lower Hudson Valley.
 

Our Chapter's Annual Dinner & Presentation of Myron Isaacs Community Service Award

Retiring Chapter Director Linda S. Berns.

June 12 was a festive evening for freedom in the Lower Hudson Valley, as the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of the NYCLU held its annual dinner at The Riverview in Hastings-on-Hudson.

The driving rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the near 200 supporters gathered, in part, to celebrate the work of retiring Chapter Director Linda S. Berns, whose tireless efforts over the past 15 years have been synonymous with the organization’s work in the region.

The Myron Isaacs Community Service Award was presented to the vital community activists, Joanne Robinson-Boettcher and Roberta Robinson Frazier, twin sisters whose mother, May Morgan Robinson, was honored with the inaugural Isaacs Award more than 40 years ago.

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March 27 Public Forum on Voter Suppression Efforts

On Tuesday, March 27, the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union held a public meeting featuring a community discussion, “Voter Suppression: Current Efforts to Deprive Citizens of Their Right to Vote.” The discussion included a introduction by Maria Valentin, newly elected chair of the board, and a presentation on Voter Suppression Laws by Tracy Givens-Hunter, Local Board Member, and Andrea Callan, NYCLU Statewide Advocacy Coordinator.

What is the history of the United States if not the history of democracy, and in turn, the history of the right to vote?

From the very inception of our nation and Constitution, the question of who would be granted this most important of rights was extremely controversial. Initially, the right to participate in our democracy was limited to white men with economic means. Over time, the franchise was extended to more white men. As movements for abolition and suffrage gained strength, the ballot was eventually extended to men of color and women. However, the legal granting of this right did not mean that these individuals could freely exercise this right.

As more people gained the right to vote, and thus, gained a voice in shaping national political and economic agendas, those who sought to keep power centered in the hands of a few designed laws to keep minorities and women from voting. Poll taxes, literacy requirements, and numerous other measures were implemented in the late 19th century and early 20th century to prevent those newly admitted to the voting booth from casting the ballot.

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Students Explore Bullying Issues at Annual Bill of Rights Day Event

Questions are raised on free speech rights.

Students from Nellie A. Thornton High School in Mount Vernon and Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose attended the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter’s Annual Bill of Rights Day on Dec. 15 at St. Paul’s Church in Mt. Vernon.

This year, we celebrated the 220th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Following a welcome by Mount Vernon City Councilperson Roberta Apuzzo, student recited the text of the Bill of Rights.

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Chapter Announces Bill of Rights Essay Contest Winners

First Prize winner Robert Liebowitz of Tuckahoe High School.

The Lower Hudson Valley Chapter received more than 70 essays for its Bill of Rights Essay Contest. This year’s topic was bullying in school. We presented students a scenario in which four students were repeatedly bullied for being “different.”

We asked students to explore how schools should address bullying. We also asked them to consider how the Dignity for All Students Act will empower students and educators to prevent bullying and harassment.

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13th Annual Schwarzschild Memorial Lecture

Lecture Addresses Police Reform

On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter, along with the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action and the Black Student Union, held the 13th Annual Henry Schwarzschild Memorial Lecture on police reform at Manhattanville College’s Reid Castle in Purchase.

This year’s speaker was Robert Gangi, the executive director of the Correctional Association (CA) for more than 29 years who recently founded the Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP) at the Urban Justice Center. A recognized expert on criminal justice and law enforcement issues, he has fought throughout his career for the humane treatment of prisoners and the protection of their rights. Though his work focuses on New York City police, he spoke on the need for universal police reform. He recounted past instances where he witnessed and was sometimes subjected to abuse of power by the police. He also talked about how police target minorities and that most of those incarcerated are people of color.

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