Supreme Court Rejects Students’ Free Speech Appeal Over ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Shirts
Supreme Court declines to hear case involving Michigan students banned from wearing ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts.
2 min read
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied an appeal from two Michigan middle school students who were barred from wearing ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts, leaving a lower court ruling intact. The case, which centered on the school’s authority to restrict the slogan as vulgar speech, was not granted review by the justices, who provided no explanation for their decision.
Students Banned from Wearing ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Shirts
The incident occurred at Tri County Middle School in Howard City, Michigan, where students were instructed to remove the shirts, which were deemed to contain vulgar language. The case was brought by the students’ mother, who argued that the school had violated her sons’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The school’s reasoning was that the slogan was ‘equivalent to the f-word,’ a claim that led to the lawsuit.
Lower Court Ruling Upheld
In October 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the school could treat the slogan as vulgar speech, even though it was political in nature. Judge John Nalbandian, a Trump appointee, wrote the majority opinion, stating, ‘In the schoolhouse, vulgarity trumps politics.’ The ruling was joined by Judge Karen Nelson Moore, a Clinton appointee.
Political Speech and School Censorship
The case has sparked a broader debate over the limits of school authority in regulating political speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free-speech advocacy group, supported the students, arguing that criticism of the president is protected under the First Amendment. ‘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,’ said FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick.
Legal and Public Reaction
The denial of the appeal follows the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a similar case in Massachusetts, where a student was barred from wearing a shirt reading ‘There are only two genders.’ The court’s decision has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with users debating whether students lose their free-speech rights once they enter school.
Source: Breitbart
