Two
Michigan
students have filed a
federal lawsuit
alleging their
school district
violated their constitutional rights when they were forced to take off their sweatshirts that were emblazoned with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon.”
The plaintiffs, both of whom are minors,
sued Tri County Area Schools
in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, claiming the school district violated their right to free expression by prohibiting them from wearing a sweatshirt that said “Let’s Go Brandon” under the guise that the district dress code prohibits political statements.
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“Let’s Go Brandon” became a euphemism for the more profane “F*** Joe Biden” in October 2021 after a sports broadcaster who was interviewing NASCAR driver Brandon Brown said the crowd at the race track, which was chanting the vulgar phrase, was actually saying “Let’s go, Brandon.” The G-rated phrase then became a popular slogan to express disapproval toward President Joe Biden.
The Michigan students, who are represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said officials at their schools required them to remove their sweatshirts on two separate occasions in February and May 2022, according to the lawsuit. The court filing also said that school officials at Tri County Middle School forced a student to remove a flag expressing support for former President Donald Trump during a June 2022 field day.
“Plaintiffs and other students are at constant risk of discipline for wearing attire expressing a political or social message which ‘calls undue attention’ to themselves, creating a substantial danger of chilling their core protected speech,” the lawsuit said.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick noted that the school district’s policy on student apparel with political messages violates the First Amendment of the Constitution’s protections on freedom of speech. Schools, he said, cannot suppress any political speech.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Criticism of the president is core political speech protected by the First Amendment,” Fitzpatrick said. “Whether it’s a Biden sticker, ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirt, or gay pride T-shirt, schools can’t pick and choose which political beliefs students can express.”
Tri County Area Schools Superintendent Allen Cumings told the Washington Examiner in a statement that the school district was aware of the complaint but “has no comment at this time regarding pending litigation or matters that involve students of the District due to federal privacy laws and Board Policy.”
