News & Commentary written by Sarah Hinger

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Sarah Hinger

Deputy Director

ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµRacial Justice Program

Pronouns: (she/her)

Bio

Sarah Hinger is the Deputy Director of the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµRacial Justice Program, where her work focuses on education and youth justice. Her recent work includes representing plaintiffs in Kenny v. Wilson, challenging a vague South Carolina law making it a crime to disturb a school. This law is applied far more frequently to Black students, and was invoked in the arrest of a student and plaintiff in the case, when she spoke out in protest while witnessing a classmate violently ripped from her desk by a school police officer. Prior to joining the ACLU, Sarah was a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section, where she received the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. At the Civil Rights Division, she litigated issues of desegregation, discriminatory school discipline, classroom equity, discrimination against English language learners and immigrant and refugee students, and Title IX. Sarah previously served as a Karpatkin Fellow with the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµRacial Justice Program and a fellow and staff attorney with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. She completed her J.D. at Columbia Law School, her M.Phil. at the University of Cambridge, and her B.A. at the University of Virginia.


Featured work

Oct 23, 2025

Trump's Attempt to Roll Back Key Civil Rights-Enforcement Tool

Trump's Attempt to Roll Back Key Civil Rights-Enforcement Tool

Jul 12, 2023

Moving Beyond the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Rulings

Moving Beyond the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Rulings

Aug 31, 2021

Safe and Healthy Schools Lead With Support, Not Police

Safe and Healthy Schools Lead With Support, Not Police

May 14, 2021

State Lawmakers Are Trying to Ban Talk About Race in Schools

State Lawmakers Are Trying to Ban Talk About Race in Schools

Oct 9, 2020

The Trump Administration is Banning Talk about Race and Gender

The Trump Administration is Banning Talk about Race and Gender

Jul 25, 2019

This County Criminalized Students for Bad Grades – Until Now

This County Criminalized Students for Bad Grades – Until Now

Jan 9, 2019

Why Trump's Effort to Eliminate Disparate Impact Rules Is a Terrible Idea

Why Trump's Effort to Eliminate Disparate Impact Rules Is a Terrible Idea

Dec 19, 2018

Trump Administration Recommends Slashing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color

Trump Administration Recommends Slashing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color

Oct 18, 2018

Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Sep 20, 2018

2 Native American Teens Were Reported to Police for Joining a Campus Tour. Now We’re Stepping In.

2 Native American Teens Were Reported to Police for Joining a Campus Tour. Now We’re Stepping In.