May 28, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the case of a Massachusetts middle school student disciplined for wearing a shirt that read, “There are only 2 genders.” By rejecting the appeal in L.M. v. Town of Middleborough, the Court allowed a prior ruling from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stand, which upheld the school’s actions. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the denial, with Alito warning that the decision leaves thousands of students without the full protection of the First Amendment in public schools.
The controversy began in March 2023 when Liam Morrison, a student at John T. Nichols Middle School, was removed from class and ordered to change his shirt. When he wore it again—this time with “only two” taped over and replaced with “censored”—he was again asked to change. Morrison’s parents filed a lawsuit, arguing the school had violated his constitutional rights. The school maintained the shirt breached its dress code banning hateful messages. A federal appeals panel sided with the school, stating that while public spaces may tolerate offensive speech, schools have more leeway to restrict it to preserve the educational environment. The ruling emphasized that even silent, passive messages may be regulated if deemed disruptive or demeaning in the school context.
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SOURCE: The Christian Post