Massachusetts boy who sued to wear 'two genders' T

Aug 02, 2023

A Massachusetts seventh grader filed an appeal Friday after a federal court ruled against him for wearing a shirt that read "There are two genders."

Liam Morrison and Middleborough's Nichols Middle School filed a joint motion for final judgment last month in an attempt to expedite the process. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Eastern Division ruled in the school's favor, allowing it to proceed in dictating what messages could be banned from T-shirts. Morrison was asked to change shirts twice, testing the school policy again with a shirt that read "There are censored genders."

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"This isn't about a T-shirt; this is about a public school telling a middle-schooler that he isn't allowed to express a view that differs from the school's orthodoxy," Morrison's attorney Logan Spena said. "Public school officials can't force Liam to remove a shirt that states his position when the school lets every other student wear clothing that speaks on the same issue. Their choice to double-down and silence him when he tried to protest their censorship is a gross violation of the First Amendment that we're urging the 1st Circuit to rectify."

Spena comes from the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom, which initially filed the lawsuit in May. Since the lawsuit, a federal court ruling has prevented Morrison from wearing the shirt again. Now, Spena is requesting that the appellate court allow Morrison to continue wearing the shirt at school.

Middleborough Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.

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Before filing the lawsuit, Morrison's parents, Christopher and Susan, attempted to get permission from the school superintendent for their son to wear the shirt. That request was denied along with another request made by an attorney.

ADF concentrates on free speech cases within the education system.

Original Location: Massachusetts boy who sued to wear 'two genders' T-shirt appeals

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