Southern Poverty Law Center - Latest News

Mother, Advocates to Birmingham, Ala., Police: Stop Using Pepper Spray on Our Children

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:38:08 -0600

A mother whose daughters were hit with pepper spray by a police officer at their school in Birmingham, Ala., joined the SPLC and a coalition of advocacy groups today to present the city council and Mayor William Bell with a petition signed by more than 25,000 people urging them to stop allowing police officers to discipline students with chemical weapons.

Florida Juveniles Do Not Belong in Adult Jails

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:26:43 -0600

In 2011, the Florida legislature passed a law that set juvenile justice back 40 years. The law, known as SB 2112, allows sheriffs to house young people in adult jails without the protections developed over the years for children in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

SPLC Warns of Junk Science Promoted at 'Ex-Gay' Conference

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:47:21 -0600

A conference being held in the Atlanta area to promote so called “ex-gay” therapy lends an air of legitimacy to a harmful practice that has been discredited by scientific organizations.

DOJ Says It Will Not Defend Law Denying Spousal Benefits to Veterans in Same-Sex Marriages

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:32:27 -0600

The Department of Justice’s decision to no longer defend a discriminatory law that denies spousal benefits to veterans in legal, same-sex marriages is welcome news for veterans who simply want equal treatment under the law.

Help Us Fight Harmful Propaganda About LGBT People in Our Schools

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:15:37 -0600

Anti-gay misinformation reverberates in our nation’s schools. One of the biggest and most dangerous lies promoted is the claim that gay people can change their sexual orientation through what is commonly known as “ex-gay” or “conversion” therapy. Counter the false propaganda with the most powerful tool at your disposal – facts.

'The Loving Story' Airs on HBO Tonight

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:21:11 -0600

This Valentine’s Day we celebrate love with the television premiere of The Loving Story on HBO. The documentary film tells the story of Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial married couple who were arrested in 1958 for violating Virginia’s miscegenation laws. Teaching Tolerance produced the educational guide for the film.

Anoka-Hennepin School District Repeals So-Called Neutrality Policy

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:44:48 -0600

Today is the first day in nearly 18 years that Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District no longer has a harmful policy that singles out lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

SPLC Lawsuit Challenges Defense of Marriage Act, VA for Refusing to Recognize Legally Married Same-Sex Couples

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0600

Tracey Cooper-Harris served for 12 years in the U.S. Army and received multiple commendations. But because she’s in a marriage with a person of the same sex, the government refuses to grant her the same disability benefits as heterosexual veterans.

Warning to Lawmakers Considering State Anti-Immigrant Bills: Remember Alabama

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:20:55 -0600

With a new year upon us, many state legislatures across the country will be convening. Some may attempt to follow in the steps of Alabama by passing harsh, anti-immigrant legislation. Before they do, they should remember Alabama.

Court Cites Discriminatory Intent Behind Alabama's Anti-Immigrant Law

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:19:57 -0600

The most damning proof that Alabama’s anti-immigrant law was born of xenophobia and vile stereotypes comes straight from the mouths of the lawmakers behind it.

Help Stop the Use of Pepper Spray on Students in Birmingham, Ala., Schools

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:15:15 -0600

Every single day, when students walk into school in Birmingham, Ala., they face the threat of being sprayed with pepper spray. In this school system, pepper spray is routinely used as punishment by police officers stationed in schools.

SPLC Challenges Florida’s Discriminatory In-State College Tuition Policy

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:52:21 -0600

The Southern Poverty Law Center today filed a federal class action lawsuit today on behalf of several aspiring college students who are denied in-state college tuition rates in Florida because they cannot prove the lawful immigration status of their parents.

SPLC Study Finds that More than Half of States Fail at Teaching the Civil Rights Movement

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:46:33 -0600

Though the civil rights movement is one of the defining events of U.S. history, most states fail when it comes to teaching the movement to students, a first-of-its-kind study released today by the Southern Poverty Law Center has found.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Mississippi Teens in Killing of Black Man

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:48:25 -0600

The Southern Poverty Law Center, in cooperation with Mississippi attorney Winston J. Thompson III, filed a wrongful death lawsuit today on behalf of the family of a black man who was viciously beaten in a motel parking lot and then fatally run over.