Court Upholds School Ban on 'Let's Go Brandon' Shirts

Published 18 hours ago

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Above: A "Let’s go Brandon" hat at a campaign event in Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S., on May 23, 2022. Image copyright: Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The Constitution and judicial precedent are clear: protection of political speech does not extend to the playground, especially when vulgarity is involved. The phrase “Let’s go Brandon” is synonymous with profanity. As such, the Michigan school was well within its rights, including the First and Fourteenth Amendments, to demand that the students remove their offensive sweaters.

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Establishment-critical narrative

The court of appeal’s decision is a farce. This judgment means that regardless of how carefully American students convey their political leanings in an educational setting, schools are free to censor their expression on a whim. The First Amendment is not so weak, and America’s students so fragile, that free expression should be restricted so drastically.

The Fire on X