First Amendment

Freedom of speech is protected in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and is guaranteed to all Americans. Without it, other fundamental rights like the right to vote, would wither and die.

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Freedom of speech is protected in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and is guaranteed to all Americans. The New Hampshire Constitution states that free speech is “essential to the security of freedom in a state.”

Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition – this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment – comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is “the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom.” Without it, other fundamental rights like the right to vote, would wither and die. The ACLU of New Hampshire is committed to protecting the freedom of speech for all people in the state of New Hampshire.

The Latest

Press Release
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ACLU and NEA sue U.S. Department of Education Over Unlawful Attack on Educational Equity

The lawsuit challenges the Department of Education’s Feb. 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter, which threatens federal funding cuts for education institutions nationwide for engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts; and a 14-day window before “appropriate measures” would be taken.  
Press Release
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NH Supreme Court Dismisses Case that Would Stifle Free Speech, Affirms Protections For Political Speech

The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed a lower court decision that ruled that a Union Leader op-ed published on June 18, 2021 by writer and activist Robert Azzi did not constitute defamation because it amounts to protected political opinion.
Issue Areas: First Amendment
Press Release
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VICTORY: Court Declares NH Classroom Censorship Law Unconstitutional

A federal court ruled today that New Hampshire’s classroom censorship law is unconstitutional after a broad coalition of educators and advocacy groups brought the challenge to the law.
Press Release
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ACLU-NH and ACLU Submit Amicus Brief to N.H. Supreme Court on Viewpoint Discrimination

The ACLU and ACLU of New Hampshire today submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the NH Supreme Court, raising concerns around viewpoint discrimination that, if applied in this case, could lead to the chipping away of the First Amendment rights of everyone.
Issue Areas: First Amendment
Court Case
Mar 05, 2025

NEA and NEA-NH v. U.S. Department of Education

Court Case
May 09, 2024

Formella v. Christopher Hood

Court Case
Dec 02, 2022

Spofford v. New Hampshire Public Radio et al.

Court Case
Oct 19, 2022

Richards v. Azzi and Union Leader Corporation