Appeals court backs school in banning ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ shirts
SAND LAKE, Mich. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled in favor of a Michigan school district in a dispute over free speech and “Let’s Go Brandon” shirts, clothing that took a jab at then-President Joe Biden.
The mother of two boys, who got the shirts as Christmas gifts, said her sons’ First Amendment rights were violated when they were told to take off the shirts at Tri County Middle School in 2022. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in 2-1 opinion.
“In the schoolhouse, vulgarity trumps politics. And the protection for political speech doesn’t give a student carte blanche to use vulgarity at school — even when that vulgarity is cloaked in innuendo or euphemism,” said judges John Nalbandian and Karen Nelson Moore.
In 2021, an obscenity directed at Biden was being chanted at a NASCAR race, though a TV sports reporter said it was “Let’s Go, Brandon.” The line suddenly became popular among Biden’s conservative critics.
The school said it wasn’t prohibiting political messages, just vulgar ones. There was evidence that some students wore clothing that said, “Make America Great Again,” or had messages supporting President Donald Trump.
Judge John Bush disagreed with the majority opinion and said the wrong legal standard was applied.
“The phrase at issue here is a euphemism for political criticism. It contains no sexual content, no graphic imagery, and no actual profanity,” he said. “To the extent that it implies an offensive phrase, it does so obliquely — by design.”
Attorney appointed to Make-A-Wish Michigan Leadership Council
Katelyn D. “Katie” Crysler, an attorney with the law firm Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, has been appointed to the Make-A-Wish Michigan Leadership Advisory Council.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Founded in 1980, it aims to bring hope, strength and joy by creating memorable experiences that give children and their families emotional support during difficult times. Make-A-Wish has granted hundreds of thousands of wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Crysler will serve a three-year term on the council that supports Make-A-Wish Michigan through fundraising, community engagement, volunteer recruitment and leadership development.
Crysler is a litigator and trial attorney who represents a broad range of entities in complex commercial disputes and product liability matters in state and federal courts across the country.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Founded in 1980, it aims to bring hope, strength and joy by creating memorable experiences that give children and their families emotional support during difficult times. Make-A-Wish has granted hundreds of thousands of wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Crysler will serve a three-year term on the council that supports Make-A-Wish Michigan through fundraising, community engagement, volunteer recruitment and leadership development.
Crysler is a litigator and trial attorney who represents a broad range of entities in complex commercial disputes and product liability matters in state and federal courts across the country.
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