File a Complaint

Instructions for Filing a Complaint

The ACLU of Pennsylvania is a private, non-profit membership organization. Our mission is to preserve and protect the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, especially the principles contained in the Bill of Rights, and the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Among the issues we work on are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, government-sponsored religious activities, privacy, discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation or disability, police misconduct, censorship in schools or libraries, fairness in application of school discipline, workplace privacy, access to government documents, inhumane jail and prison conditions, and other issues of fair treatment by government.

In general, we do not handle cases that involve such things as evictions, landlord-tenant disputes, general disputes between employees and employers (for example, disputes centering on wages and hours), criminal prosecutions, divorce, child custody, or wills.

The ACLU is neither a government agency nor a general legal services organization, and we normally do not provide emergency services. We have limited resources and staff and are unable to pursue every case that comes to our attention. Requests for legal assistance should be made over the phone or in writing. In-person interviews are generally not possible, and we do not accept walk-ins. We also do not accept complaints via email.

If you believe your rights have been violated and would like to receive help from the ACLU of Pennsylvania, please read the instructions below about contacting the appropriate office. Although we try to respond to each request as quickly as possible, it may take as long as four weeks for a response due to our limited staff.

We only accept complaints regarding civil liberties violations that occurred in Pennsylvania. If you are seeking assistance for a problem that occurred in another state, please click here for a national directory of ACLU offices.

To file a complaint in writing, download the form below and return it to the office serving the county in which the incident occurred. Please attach copies of relevant paperwork, but DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. We cannot guarantee that your information will be returned.

• Intake Form (15k PDF)

To speak to someone about your complaint, please call the appropriate office below.