Student Video About Tinker Case Wins ACLU’s Mannheimer Contest

Student Video About Tinker Case Wins ACLU’s Mannheimer Contest

Urbandale’s Emma Shipley Creates the Winning Entry

Urbandale student Emma Shipley is this year’s winner in the ACLU of Iowa’s Robert Mannheimer Student Video Contest. Her short video documents one of the ACLU of Iowa’s proudest moments–the winning of the Tinker v. The Des Moines Indpendent Schools case. Three Des Moines students wore black armbands to school to support a truce in the Vietnam war. They took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court–and paved the way for free speech for students for decades to come.

View the video


Confused About Requesting Government Information?

Confused About Requesting Government Information?

Visit Our New Open Government Project!

You’ll find a user-friendly “do-it-yourself” guide on how to request government information and data, as well as request open meetings of government bodies. There’s lots of information, how-to tips, forms, and diagrams. You’ll also be able to contact our staff for assistance.

Learn More


New Handbook Informs Iowa Students of Their Rights

New Handbook Informs Iowa Students of Their Rights

Even before a student reaches age 18, that person has basic constitutional rights.

From free speech to anti-bullying, from dress codes to praying in school, this booklet informs students of what they can and can’t do under the law.

Learn More


Our Mission

The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is a private, non-partisan, non-profit group that fights to advance civil liberties for all. We are the state affiliate of the national ACLU.

We pride ourselves in upholding everyone’s civil liberties—no matter who they are or what they believe. We have worked to assure rights of all Iowans—from atheists to devout Christians, from labor unions to businesspeople, and more—to make sure our constitutional rights are preserved.” More about us

Upcoming events

See all events