Chessie Thacher

Senior Staff Attorney @ACLU_NorCal
These tweets are my views. cthacher at

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

We filed a preliminary injunction against UC Santa Cruz to stop unconstitutional campus bans of students and faculty without hearings or proof of threat.

https://t.co/oWrvzyBqvz

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

NEW: After journalists faced threats of arrest while covering homeless encampment sweeps in California, FAC, @LAPressClub, @nppa and 20 more groups are calling on officials to respect the role of the press at these newsworthy events. https://t.co/8b8LJKXKja

[Chessie Thacher @ChessieThacher]

https://t.co/z3gpIjtiyH

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

BREAKING: Today, we sued UC Santa Cruz over unjust campus bans. Over 100 students and faculty were barred from campus after a May pro-Palestine protest.

[ACLU California Action @ACLU_CalAction]

We are seeing California universities suppressing speech that is protected by both the U.S. and California Constitutions.

#SB1287 has the potential to lead colleges and universities to silence a range of protected speech based on viewpoint alone.

[Chessie Thacher @ChessieThacher]

https://t.co/4qx95SmSNI

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

We couldn't agree more with @ByRobinEpley in today's @sacbee_news. Punishing (and bullying) the messengers instead of using this moment to teach students critical thinking and the value of free speech is exactly the wrong approach, @officialSCUSD. https://t.co/2JLbizree9

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

FAC and @ACLU_NorCal have been fighting these anti-transparency laws since last year. "Democracy depends on freedom of information, but information is not free when only the rich can afford it,” said FAC Legal Director @DavidLoySD.

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

Today with @ACLU_NorCal, we sent this letter informing @humboldtcalpoly that its policy of limiting public and press access to campus during the “hard closure” is “constitutionally suspect.” https://t.co/SHNalfoHDa

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

We’re on the ground at Cal Poly Humboldt, where, last night, law enforcement arrested dozens of protestors.

Read our Know Your Rights guide: https://t.co/E3mmggHOsp

Contact our Legal Intake if your rights are being violated: https://t.co/ytBj8T1Ktv

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

ACLU Urges College and University Leaders to Protect Free Speech and Academic Freedom https://t.co/O52rhYKPXW

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

Scroll through for information about common campus protest situations and contact us if you need help at https://t.co/ytBj8T1Ktv.

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

Both the CA Constitution and the 1st Amendment protect your right to free expression. But there are certain narrow restrictions. Read through our Know Your Rights guide to make sure you’re prepared before heading out into the streets: https://t.co/E3mmggHOsp

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

A new @CommonCauseCA survey finds remote access to public meetings increases public participation. And more public participation in govt = a better democracy. Don't let governement officials tell you otherwise. https://t.co/k6ADZKG9do

[Chessie Thacher @ChessieThacher]

Rap music shouldn't take center stage in a criminal trial. Read the amicus brief that the ACLU of Northern California and the ACLU of Southern California filed last night on this issue. https://t.co/xJZApniOkO

[ACLU of Northern CA @ACLU_NorCal]

Today the public was excluded from an extraordinary federal court hearing concerning the role of the US government in supporting Israel’s war in Gaza. The Constitution compels open courtrooms. See our filing challenging this improper closure: https://t.co/ryRwaLjVoG

[Chessie Thacher @ChessieThacher]

The Texas abortion case blows up the abortion ban rationale https://t.co/wA3sOEkNvT

[Chessie Thacher @ChessieThacher]

Berkeley reporter barred from Pamela Price press event says 'it raises all kinds of questions' https://t.co/e2ZrJjlz1U

[David Loy @DavidLoySD]

Hey, there in the back, in case you didn’t hear us the first time: “The government has no business interfering with the decisions of young people and their families about what library books to read.” https://t.co/5tMgSkDjsa

[Matt Cagle @Matt_Cagle]

California politicians are trying to ban books, too. Check out this fantastic letter by @ChessieThacher and @ACLU_NorCal calling out Fresno's unconstitutional and unworkable attempt to censor books in the county's libraries.