ACLU Slams Lori Lightfoot for ‘Coercive’ Student-Volunteer Request for Reelection Campaign

National Review via Yahoo ^ | January 12, 2023 | Caroline Downey

[grundle]

The Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union slammed Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot for trying to recruit student volunteers for her reelection campaign through an “inappropriately coercive” pitch to teachers.

Lightfoot’s team sent an email to Chicago Public Schools teachers Wednesday, urging them to offer class credit to their students in exchange for their helping out on the campaign.

“We’re simply looking for enthusiastic, curious and hard-working young people eager to help Mayor Lightfoot win this spring,” the email, obtained by WTTW News, read. The campaign claimed to the outlet that the pitch was also intended to cultivate civic engagement among schoolchildren.

The ACLU quickly blasted Lightfoot for what it suggested was a scheme that was potentially intimidating to the teachers and students involved.

“The Lightfoot campaign’s email to Chicago Public School teachers urging them to offer extra credit to students as an incentive to volunteer on the Mayor’s re-election campaign is inappropriately coercive and raises First Amendment concerns,” Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois, said in a statement. “The Supreme Court has made clear that government officials cannot use their office or power to coerce participation or to punish for lack of participation in political campaigns.”

The ACLU’s concerns stemmed from the fact that Lightfoot is mayor, has ultimate authority over the K–12 school system, and appoints the superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Board of Education. Therefore, teachers might feel pressured to acquiesce to her request for student volunteers given her position of power, the organization argued.

[Leaning Right]

This is a pleasant surprise, the one time in ten thousand where the ACLU is doing something that is correct. But I guess it’s too much to hope that the ACLU is going back to its roots, back to when they stood up for everyone’s rights.

Hey, ACLU. How about also standing up for biological women who don’t want cross-dressing men in their locker rooms?

[EC Washington]

Doesn’t matter - Lighthead will win re-election easily

[dfwgator]

Yep.

[17th Miss Regt]

How about also standing up for biological women who don’t want cross-dressing men in their locker rooms?

Ohhh! Quite the trans-phobe you are! Did I mention racist? (/sarc)

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, I'm sure -- the ACLU's offices should be raided, and their emails and social media posts should be audited. Here's something else to buy:

• Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says political outreach email to teachers was a 'mistake,' blames staffer [01/13/2023]
• Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Says Crime Plan 'Working' While Major Crime Rises 41% in 2022 [01/12/2023]

[momincombatboots]

No way this is real. It has that kabuki smell. Unless the ACLU is just jealous. Nah, this falls under cant they both lose.

[thegagline]

This is illegal. However, the law doesn’t apply to black Democrats.

[DPMD]

Young Pioneers/Hitler Youth redux.

[DPMD]

Forget it. They’ll do meaningless local crap, but don’t expect them to go against their masters in the DNC on a national issue.

[DPMD]

Once again, it seems to be up to the women. Who could argue with a mob of them stomping the guy into a pulp, then claiming he had a boner and was moving on one of them?

[Machavelli]

F the ACLU. A bunch of anti-American libtards