A middle school student is asking a federal appellate court to uphold his right to wear a T-shirt to school that says, “There are only two genders.”
Liam Morrison is a 7th grade student at Nichols Middle School in Middleborough, Massachusetts. One day at school, Liam wore the T-shirt to school to support the biological fact that there are only two sexes, male and female.
However, the principal of the school and a school counselor quickly pulled Liam out of class and ordered him to remove his shirt. Liam declined. The principal proceeded to tell Liam he could not return to class until he had removed the shirt. Instead, Liam decided to leave and missed the rest of his classes that day.
After school administrators informed Liam’s dad that they would continue to censor anyone who disagreed with the school’s position on “gender identity,” Liam wore a second T-shirt to school with the phrase, “There are censored genders.”
Again, school officials demanded Liam remove the shirt to be able to go to class.
That’s when Liam and his parents decided to file a lawsuit against the school.
Liam is now speaking out about his experience.
He is being represented in court by Alliance Defending Freedom; his lawyers argue that Nichols Middle School violated the First Amendment’s free speech clause by singling out Liam for discrimination against him based on his viewpoint.
Liam’s lawyers filed the original complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on May 19, 2023. That court ruled against him on July 19, 2023.
He then appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit – one of the most liberal courts in the nation. All five of the court’s current judges were appointed by Democrat presidents. One seat on the court is vacant.
On Thursday, Feb. 8, oral arguments were held in the case.
“Students don’t lose their free speech rights the moment they walk into a school building,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman. “This case isn’t about T-shirts; it’s about a public school telling a middle-schooler that he isn’t allowed to express a view that differs from their own.”
Cortman added:
The school actively promotes its view about gender through posters and “Pride” events. And it encourages other students to wear T-shirts expressing messages about gender. At the end of last school year, another student wore a shirt that said, “He she they, it’s all okay.” That was allowed, even though just a few weeks before they punished Liam for his “There are only two genders” shirt simply because it did not align with their preferred beliefs.
We are urging the court to rule that free speech belongs to all, not some.
The Daily Citizen will keep you updated with any important developments in this case.
The case is Morrison v. Town of Middleborough.
Related articles and resources:
Free Speech Victory for Virginia Teacher Fired Over ‘Transgender’ Pronoun Policy
Moms for Liberty Sues Library for Censoring Forum to Protect Women’s Sports
Photo from Alliance Defending Freedom.
