| The Suffolk NYCLU, a chapter of the New York State affiliate of the ACLU, defends the rights and liberties guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. |
The 2007 Annual Awards Luncheon was held on Saturday, April 14, at the Bellport Country Club. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and the support of the friends and members of the Suffolk NYCLU, the event was a success. We were pleased to honor retired Greenport Mayor David Kapell for his decades of service to Suffolk County and to our chapter, and six Suffolk County Policewomen for their brave and successful resistance of a discriminatory policy.
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Dolores Bilges introduces the honored policewomen.
From left, Sandra Lochren, Sarah MacDermott, and Kelly Mennella | 
Greenport Mayor David Kapell accepts his award | 
Chapter President Stan Gewanter addresses the crowd | 
Essay contest winner Sanjay Palat accepts his award |
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PPHP-Suffolk NYCLU
Survey Finds Most Suffolk County
Pharmacies Stock Emergency
Contraception
March 20,
2007 – A survey conducted by the
Suffolk NYCLU and Planned Parenthood
Hudson-Peconic finds that most
pharmacies in Suffolk County stock Plan
B, the emergency contraception pill
approved for over-the-counter sale by
the Food and Drug Administration last
August. Of the 266 pharmacies
surveyed, 187 had Plan B available for
sale at the time of the call. To view
a list of the pharmacies that provide
emergency contraception, click here.
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NYCLU Hails Defeat of Suffolk County Anti-Immigrant Ordinance
March 21, 2007 – The New York Civil Liberties Union and the Suffolk NYCLU hailed the Suffolk County Legislature's 10-6 defeat last night of a proposed anti-immigrant loitering bill as a victory for human rights and fair play.
The NYCLU vigorously opposed Introductory Resolution No. 1022 as a thinly
veiled attack on day laborers, who are
overwhelmingly immigrant and Latino,
engaged in constitutionally protected
activities. The bill would have made it
unlawful for day laborers to stand
along county roadways while
unreasonably hindering the free passage
of pedestrians or cars, and would have
outlawed standing along county roadways
for the purpose of attempting to
solicit or sell any product or service
to a vehicle occupant.
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Suffolk NYCLU Announces the
Winners of the First Annual Essay
Contest
March 20, 2007
– The Suffolk NYCLU and the Suffolk
County Library Association congratulate
the winners of the first annual essay
contest on the topic of "What Does
Freedom Mean to Me?" The contest was
open to anyone who wished to
participate, and the winners were
selected from more than 500
contestants.
Grades K through 3
First Place: Richelle Leigh Inzeo
Second Place: Christopher Isola
Third Place: Lindsey Nicole Rasmussen |
Grades 4 through 6
First Place: Alexana Steck
Second Place: Billy Radovich
Third Place: Khadija Bolling |
Grades 7 through 9
First Place: Sanjay Palat
Second Place: Lauren Kaufman
Third Place: Anna Grammerstorf |
Grades 10 through 12
First Place: Anthony Gouw
Second Place: Paul Swenson
Third Place: Kasey Melzer
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Adult
First Place: Daniel Walker |
Click here to
read the essays! |
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Proposed Suffolk County Law Unfairly Criminalizes Day Laborers, NYCLU Testifies
March 6, 2007 – The New York Civil Liberties Union expressed its
firm opposition to an anti-immigrant ordinance under consideration by the
Suffolk County legislature, arguing in testimony that the bill criminalizes
"standing while Latino" by unfairly targeting day laborers seeking work.
The bill would make it unlawful for day laborers to loiter or stand along
county roadways while unreasonably hindering the free passage of
pedestrians or cars. It would also outlaw loitering or standing along county roadways for the purpose of attempting to solicit or sell any product or service to a vehicle occupant. These regulations would unduly infringe on Suffolk residents' First Amendment rights to seek work in public spaces.
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Suffolk NYCLU Joins Lawsuit Against Village of Southampton
November 29, 2006 – The Suffolk County Chapter of the NYCLU has become
involved in a lawsuit against the
Village of Southampton, challenging the
Village’s actions and policies
concerning parades. The Village had
sought to prevent marchers in the 4th
of July Parade from carrying signs
protesting the war in Iraq. A group of
local individuals and organizations
went to Federal Court seeking a
temporary restraining order to allow
them to march and to carry signs
without Village censorship. When
presented with the lawsuit, the Village
consented to a court order allowing the
marcher to carry whatever signs they
chose. The lawsuit was filed by local
attorney James S. Henry, who is now
acting as a cooperating attorney for
the Suffolk County Chapter, along with
Chapter Legal Director, Alan Polsky.
The law suit is still pending and the
plaintiffs are seeking a permanent
injunction so that this problem does
not present itself at future parades.
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Shop in Our Online Store
You can now wear
your rights on your sleeve. Our new online shop has a growing number
of products including coffee mugs, T-shirts and stickers bearing
our Chapter's logo, and our Reproductive and Health Rights Committee's
"You Don't Own Me" slogan.
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Upcoming Events
Monthly Meeting
Monday, February 11th
7:00 PM
Touro Law Center
Public Advocacy Clinic
Central Islip, NY
Click here for directions
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| Contact Us |
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Listen to S. Gewanter's interview July 2, 2007 on WUSB radio (there are 4 min. of music at the beginning of the program)
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Safe and Free
There has never been a more urgent time for us to preserve our fundamental
privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than today, as illegal government spying, provisions of the Patriot Act and
government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law and our most
treasured values in the name of national security.
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