Rights This Way

This February in Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports at county-run facilities. The NYCLU sued to block this policy, arguing that it violates New York’s Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law, which explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Justice prevailed and, in May, the Nassau County Supreme Court ruled in the NYCLU and Roller Rebels’ favor, striking down the executive order.

Then, shortly after we recorded this podcast, the Nassau County Legislature introduced legislation designed to resurrect Blakeman’s ban. The bill is slated to be voted on later in June. The NYCLU’s Nassau field office is mobilizing with other advocates to stop the bill in its tracks including organizing rallies and getting people to testify against the bill. But if it passes, the NYCLU will file another lawsuit to strike it down.

Blakeman claims Nassau’s trans ban will protect cisgender women and girls. But on this episode, we’ll explore why the order is actually a harmful, transphobic policy designed to shut trans people out of public spaces. We’ll hear from two NYCLU lawyers who brought the case, and from the president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a team in the Nassau County Recreational Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby League. The Roller Rebels are the plaintiffs in our case. Their league, which welcomes trans women, was barred from using Nassau County’s facilities under the executive order.

Guests:

Gabriella Larios: Staff Attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union

Bobby Hodgson: NYCLU Assistant Legal Director

Curly Fry: President of the Long Island Roller Rebels

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Our campaign page for the Roller Rebels’ case: https://www.nyclu.org/resources/campaigns-actions/campaigns/stand-trans-athletes-nassau-county

Meet the Roller Rebels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRdu_h7Ww8Q&t=2s

Read about our case: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/roller-rebels-v-blakeman

Tell lawmakers to vote against the anti trans bill in the Nassau County Legislature: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-anti-trans-hate-nassau

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit https://www.nyclu.org/ideas/podcasts

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The NYCLU recently filed a lawsuit challenging the misleadingly-named Sexual Assault Reform Act, or SARA. SARA is a New York law that prevents certain people required to register on the state’s sex offender registry from knowingly being within 1,000 feet of a school at any time and for any reason. It’s also been interpreted to prevent people subject to SARA restrictions from living within this 1,000-foot radius.

SARA is billed as a way to protect New Yorkers from people who could harm children. But research shows these types of geographical restrictions don’t increase public safety. And authorities have applied SARA to people who have never harmed children, and even people who have never committed a sexual offense.

In dense urban areas like New York City, where you’re almost always within 1,000 feet of a school, SARA restrictions force thousands of New Yorkers into homelessness and to the fringes of society, effectively banishing them.

We speak with Daniel Lambright, the NYCLU’s Special Counsel for Criminal Justice Litigation, M.G., one of the plaintiffs in our lawsuit, and Dr. Emily Horowitz, a sociologist who has spent nearly two decades researching and writing about sexual offense policies.

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Our press release announcing the case: https://www.nyclu.org/press-release/nyclu-challenges-law-banishing-people-convicted-of-sex-offenses

NYCLU's exclusive SARA story: https://nysfocus.com/2024/05/28/nyclu-sex-offender-registry-housing-homeless

Case materials: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/m-g-v-towns

NYCLU blog "Why We Must Rethink the Way We Treat People Convicted of Sex Offenses": https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/why-we-must-rethink-way-we-treat-people-convicted-sex-offenses

Research on the ineffectiveness of residency restrictions: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0011128712441694

About Dr. Emily Horowitz: https://www.sfc.edu/academics/faculty-directory/emily-horowitz

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway

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Fifty years ago, New York first opened its doors to people from across the U.S. who needed abortion care. Now, following the Supreme Court's decision to gut Roe, numerous states have banned or severely restricted abortion care. In the face of this attack on basic reproductive rights, New York must once again be a leader in expanding care for its residents and anyone who needs it.

Even though abortion is legal in New York, people still face steep barriers trying to access abortion across the state. We talk about how to close those gaps and how to strengthen New York’s position as a leader when it comes to abortion rights with Allie Bohm, senior policy counsel for the NYCLU and Chelsea Williams-Diggs, Executive Director of the New York Abortion Access Fund.

Since we recorded this episode, the state legislature passed a version of one of the bills we discussed, the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program. This is a historic step to make abortion rights a reality for everyone in our state. The program creates a sustainable state funding mechanism for abortion providers and abortion funds, bringing us closer to a world where New Yorkers can freely make decisions about their futures and bodies. But the version of the bill passed by the legislature does not include funding for things like hotel stays or other travel costs for patients seeking an abortion. And it also doesn’t include money for capital improvements for abortion providers. So, there’s still more work to do.

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Join the campaign to pass the New York Equal Rights Amendment: https://nyequalrights.org/

Find out more and get involved with the New York Abortion Access Fund: https://www.nyaaf.org/

Tell legislators to support the bills mentioned in this podcast: https://nyclu.org/act

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

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Universities should be havens for robust debate, discussion, and learning – not sites of censorship where administrators, donors, and politicians squash political discourse they don't approve of. But Columbia University recently violated New York law to single out and suspend two student groups for participating in a peaceful student demonstration and temporary art installation in support of Palestinian rights.

That's why the NYCLU and Palestine Legal sued Columbia.

These student groups – Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace – were peacefully speaking out on a critical global conflict, only to have Columbia ignore its own longstanding, existing rules and abruptly suspend the organizations. The protest was sponsored by a coalition of over 20 groups, yet none of the other groups involved faced disciplinary action.

That's retaliatory, it's targeted, and it flies in the face of the free speech principles that institutes of higher learning should be defending. We talk about this case with two NYCLU lawyers who brought the lawsuit. We also hear from two students who are plaintiffs in the case, Maryam Alwan, an organizer with Columbia’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and Cameron Jones, an organizer with Columbia’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Since we recorded this episode several New York colleges and universities – including Columbia – have started pro-Palestine protest encampments. In some cases, students have also occupied campus buildings. The NYCLU continues to monitor these developments and has spoken out about the police crackdowns against them. This episode, however, is specifically focused on our lawsuit challenging Columbia’s decision last year to unlawfully suspend Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine.

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The NYCLU’s case against Columbia: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/columbia-students-justice-palestine-jewish-voice-peace-v-columbia-university

NYCLU’s commentary on the police crackdown on pro-Palestinian student protesters https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/pro-palestinian-campus-protests-shouldnt-be-snuffed-out-by-police

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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About 180,000 migrants have come to New York City since April of 2022, and about 65,000 are currently in the city's care. Nearly every day there is a news story or a quote from a New York politician about how this recent arrival of migrants is a drain on New York’s finances. But a recent report from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander complicates that narrative. He joins us to explain why migrants are an economic boon to our city, and what he thinks we should do to get them the resources they need to thrive.

This is a companion episode to one we did last season about recent migrants to New York and on U.S. foreign policy with NYCLU executive Director Donna Lieberman and Daniel Denvir who hosts the Dig podcast.

Please rate, review, and subscribe to Rights This Way. It will help more people find this podcast.

Facts Not Fear Report from the NYC Comptroller’s office:

https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/facts-not-fear-how-welcoming-immigrants-benefits-new-york-city/

Companion Rights This Way episode on new migrants:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-ny-can-cut-through-the-finger-pointing-and/id1643734167?i=1000637020890

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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The 2024 elections will be some of the most critical in our lifetimes and, as election season approaches, a wave of efforts to diminish the political power of communities of color is surging. This isn't just happening in red states, it's taking place right here in New York.

That’s why the NYCLU and our partners sued the Nassau County Legislature in Long Island for its redistricting plan, which violates the landmark New York Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength and political influence of Black, Latinx, and Asian residents. Though residents of color make up over one-third of Nassau County's eligible voters, the current map – which the Legislature drew behind closed doors – only creates four districts out of 19 where Black, Latinx, and Asian residents are a majority of eligible voters.

We delve into this lawsuit with two NYCLU lawyers who brought it. And we’ll also take a closer look at how the New York Voting Rights Act will help us fight against this attack on democracy.

Guests: Perry Grossman is the Director of the NYCLU’s Voting Rights Project. Terry Ding is an NYCLU staff attorney.

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More on our Nassau voting rights case:

https://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/civil-rights-advocates-sue-nassau-county-racial-vote-dilution#:~:text=NASSAU%20COUNTY%2C%20NY%20%E2%80%93%20The%20New,violates%20the%20landmark%20John%20R.

More on the New York Voting Rights Act:

https://www.nyclu.org/en/publications/john-r-lewis-voting-rights-act-new-york

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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New York has a proud legacy of offering refuge to newcomers hoping to make life better for themselves and their families. That hope is something we all share, and the promise of refuge has made our state what it is. 

Rental prices soared to record levels in New York City in 2023. Right now, a family would have to earn at least $140,000 a year just to be able to afford the city’s median rent of $3,500. And this story goes well beyond New York City. Across the state, New Yorkers are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. 20 percent of New York State residents spend more than half of their income on rent, and in some ways, they’re the lucky ones. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers are unhoused, with no clear path to obtaining permanent homes.

Despite this dire situation, state leaders have not done nearly enough to tackle the problem.

Nearly everyone agrees that New York is facing a severe housing crisis. But the question is what we should do about it. To help answer that question, we’re joined by three housing experts who will help us dig into this urgent and seemingly intractable issue. Julian Morales is the NYCLU’s Senior Housing Strategist. Cea Weaver is a Campaign Coordinator for the Housing Justice for All coalition, and John Washington is an organizer and political educator with the People’s Action Network.

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Tune in our previous Season 1 episode on housing: https://www.nyclu.org/en/publications/ep-8-how-fix-ny-housing-crisis

NYCLU blog on good cause eviction: https://www.nyclu.org/en/news/one-way-fight-against-unfair-landlords

Link to our settlement in our case to help more Black and Brown New Yorkers facing foreclosure stay in their homes: https://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/new-settlement-enhances-legal-protections-homeowners-facing-foreclosure-across-nys

About our guests and their organizations:

Cea Weaver, Housing Justice For All: https://housingjusticeforall.org/

John Washington, People's Action Network: https://peoplesaction.org/

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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New York has a proud legacy of offering refuge to newcomers hoping to make life better for themselves and their families. That hope is something we all share, and the promise of refuge has made our state what it is. 

New York is also known for being a place where big things get done. That’s why it’s so disappointing when our leaders scapegoat and engage in fearmongering over the many migrants arriving in New York over the last year-plus, mostly in New York City. 

This political finger-pointing and the doomsday predictions uttered by politicians have helped lead to many New Yorkers seeing new migrants in a negative light.  

How can we change that narrative and how can we show that new migrants actually offer a tremendous opportunity for our state? And what are some of the less-discussed factors leading migrants to come to New York?   

First, we talk about some of the reasons, tied to US foreign policy, that have led thousands of migrants to leave their homes and take the treacherous journey to the United States with author Daniel Denvir, host of the popular podcast, The Dig. Then we discuss what’s been happening in New York and what needs to take place here with NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman.  

Thank you so much for tuning in Season 2 of Rights This Way. We will be back soon, so please subscribe and follow us @NYCLU to know when the new season drops!

Resources:

Take Action to support migrants: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/support-newly-arrived-migrants  

Daniel’s podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thedig  

The report mentioned in the episode about where new migrants are coming from: https://greatcities.uic.edu/2023/10/20/the-current-migrant-crisis-how-u-s-policy-toward-latin-america-has-fueled-historic-numbers-of-asylum-seekers/   

Donna’s blog on migrant arrivals: https://www.nyclu.org/en/news/ny-can-meet-our-migrant-moment-you-wouldnt-know-it-political-narrative 

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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The NYPD's Strategic Response Group (SRG) is a notoriously violent rapid response unit. Despite promises from the department that the unit would not be deployed at protests, the SRG has consistently threatened, attacked, and arrested protesters. Time and time again, when the SRG arrives on the scene, officers escalate situations and injure New Yorkers who are exercising their First Amendment rights.

Since we recorded this episode, the NYCLU, the Legal Aid Society and New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a sweeping settlement agreement that could help transform the way the NYPD polices protests. The settlement – which must still be approved by a judge before it can go into effect – is designed to reduce the presence of police at protests and to lessen the kinds of harms that officers often cause at demonstrations.

The settlement does this through a tiered system that dictates when, how many, and which kinds of officers can be sent to protests. Importantly, under the agreement, the NYPD will only be allowed to deploy the SRG under certain conditions. We hope this will cut down on misconduct, violence, and unjustified detentions.

But, While the settlement should reduce the role the Strategic Response Group plays in protests, we know that the only way to put an end to the SRG’s abuse is to put an end to the unit itself. We will continue to fight to disband the SRG and reinvest its estimated $133 Million in funds into our communities. And until that happens, this episode is as relevant as ever.

To discuss the SRG and protesters’ rights more generally, we speak with Isabelle Leyva, senior organizer with the NYCLU, and New York City public defender Alex Clavering (@LolOverruled).

Please download, rate, review, and subscribe to Rights This Way. It will help more people find this podcast.

Resources:

Tell lawmakers to disband the SRG: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/disband-nypds-strategic-response-group

Join our campaign to disband the SRG: https://secure.everyaction.com/_duTyjNjiE6dhD9xewdSSQ2

Follow Alex (@LolOverruled) on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

More on the SRG:

https://www.nyclu.org/en/news/nypd-unit-under-greater-scrutiny-it-lashing-out-response

https://www.nyclu.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/202109_nyclu_srg_2pager.pdf

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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For more than seven years, 10,000 public school students — almost entirely children of color — in the East Ramapo Central School District just 40 miles north of New York City have had lead in their school water fountains. Students speak of going thirsty after gym glass, of mold collecting in the water coolers provided to replace drinking fountains, and of washing their hands next to hazard signs.

But the story is bigger. School district leaders haven’t simply failed to fix the water problem. They’ve failed every part of the school system and hollowed out the educations of tens of thousands of public school students, the vast majority of whom are Black and Brown.

We dissect the problems in East Ramapo, their causes, and how to fix them with Johanna Miller, the director of the NYCLU’s Education Policy Center and Ignacio Acevedo, the NYCLU’s Hudson Valley Organizer.

Please download, rate, review, and subscribe to Rights This Way. It will help more people find this podcast.

Resources:

Our latest report on East Ramapo: https://www.nyclu.org/en/campaigns/not-making-grade-new-yorks-jim-crow-school-district

Our recent op-ed: https://www.nyclu.org/en/publications/school-district-harms-its-own-kids-rocklands-east-ramapo-central-district-falling-apart

Tell state leaders to take control of East Ramapo: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/end-jim-crow-education-east-ramapo-schools

Want to volunteer with the NYCLU to work on East Ramapo issues? Email [email protected]

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit nyclu.org/en/rightsthisway.

Follow NYCLU on Twitter and Instagram.

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