Center for First Amendment Rights Merges with American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut

CFAR, the Center for First Amendment Rights, has announced plans to merge its 15-year-old programs into the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut.

The merger was announced by Ethel S. Sorokin Esq., co-founder of CFAR and now its president emerita, and by Don Noel, chair of the ACLU Foundation, at the annual Milton Sorokin Symposium honoring her late husband.

“CFAR has for a decade and a half been dedicated to increasing the understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” Sorokin said. “We publish a newsletter and organize educational events for Connecticut middle and high school and college students as well as for faculty, and events such as tonight’s symposium for the general public.

“We pass this baton to younger hands.”

“We are pleased and honored,” said Noel, “to assume responsibility for the programs Ethel Sorokin and her colleagues have developed. She and Milton and Prof. Hugh MacGill, then dean of the University of Connecticut Law School, pioneered a vital program of public outreach. “Their efforts,” he added, “will mesh seamlessly with our own public education and school outreach programs. We are confident that our 8,000 Connecticut members will chip in to help us shoulder these new tasks. We are committed to continuing the CFAR tradition.”

The planned merger, which will take effect in mid-June, was announced at a First Amendment symposium headlining Anthony Lewis, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the New York Times.

The symposium followed awards of prizes. Bonnie Dickenson, the drama teacher at Wilton High School whose students were not allowed to perform their anti-Iraq play at the school, was honored with CFAR’s 2008 Freedom Award. The students’ play was subsequently performed and well-received in New York City, in Fairfield, and at a CFAR high school conference.

Prof. McGill was honored with the CFAR Lifetime Freedom Award.

Five high school students were awarded prizes in the annual essay contest on “What the First Amendment means to me,” one of CFAR’s signature programs that will continue under ACLUF-CT.

First prize went to Aaron Kiersh, a senior at Westport’s Staples High School, who wrote about freedom of speech on his radio show at the school’s FM radio station. His English teacher, Lis Comm, was also honored.

In second place was Ryan Baldassario of East Lyme High School. Tied for third place were Vera Soliman of East Lyme High and Jack Aldrich of Staples/Westport. Alyssa Thomas of North Branford High School received honorable mention.