Free Speech

We show up and fight for free speech.

Protesters gather on the Statehouse lawn near an ACLU of South Carolina pop-up tent

The framers of the Constitution believed that freedom of inquiry and free expression were the hallmarks of a democratic society. The First Amendment exists to protect speech, even the most offensive and controversial, from government suppression.

In the Courts

Since our founding in 1968, the ACLU-SC has fought to defend and advance the First Amendment rights of all South Carolinians. Some of our earliest cases involved the free speech rights of Vietnam War protesters. Today some of our most pitched free-speech battles involve the rights of teachers, librarians, and students.

In the Legislature

Again and again, lawmakers have sought to restrict the free-speech rights of their fellow South Carolinians on racial, political, and religious grounds. Year after year, we show up in the state capital to fight back against harmful bills before they become law.

In the Community

We are proud to help lead Freedom to Read SC, a statewide coalition that works to defeat unconstitutional book bans in schools and libraries. You can join the coalition email list here, follow us on Facebook, and find helpful links and more information via the League of Women Voters SC website.

Join Freedom to Read SC

The Latest

Press Release
Image collage. Top image is paintbrushes sitting in metal coffee tin. Bottom image is of a person's back as they face a wall of art in frames.

ACLU-SC responds to Arts Commission further delaying grants

State agency adopts vague stance against 'ideology' while stalling on funds for LGBTQ artists
Issue Areas: Free Speech, LGBTQ Rights
News & Commentary
South Carolina Statehouse dome tinted blue and yellow

Statehouse Dispatch: Session in Review

We stopped some of the worst bills in their tracks. The work isn't finished.
News & Commentary
South Carolina Statehouse dome tinted blue and yellow

Private: Statehouse Dispatch: Session in Review

Good news: We stopped some of the worst bills in their tracks
News & Commentary
Photo of the South Carolina Statehouse dome with a light blue tint

Statehouse Dispatch: March 30, 2026

Let’s bring some ‘No Kings’ energy to the South Carolina General Assembly

Cases, Campaigns & Legislation

Legislation
Jan 14, 2025

Police Buffer Zone (S. 175)

This bill would criminalize standing too close to police. It would impose up to a 60-day jail sentence on anybody who remains within a 25-foot radius of a law enforcement officer, after receiving a verbal warning, with the intent to "harass or taunt” the officer.
Status: Active
Position: Oppose
Legislation
Jan 13, 2026

Police Buffer Zone (H. 4763)

This bill would criminalize standing too close to police. It would impose up to a 60-day jail sentence on anybody who remains within a 25-foot radius of a law enforcement officer, after receiving a verbal warning, with the intent to cause the officer “emotional distress.”
Status: Active
Position: Oppose
Legislation
Jan 13, 2026

Classroom Censorship Policy (H. 4757)

This bill would allow parents to exempt their children from any classroom instruction in a public school if it conflicts with their “beliefs or practices regarding sex, morality, or religion.” It would also forbid classroom discussions of "gender roles or stereotypes, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation” unless a teacher gives parents five days' advance notice and receives affirmative consent from the parents.
Status: Active
Position: Oppose
Legislation
Jan 13, 2026

Anti-Protest Policy (S. 739)

This bill would define “riot” to include a violent protest and would allow a person whose property is destroyed or harmed to recover full damages against every person or “funding entity” engaged in a riot.
Status: Active
Position: Oppose