Attorneys for a middle school student who was forbidden by his school from wearing a “There are only two genders” T-shirt will be making oral arguments in Boston on Thursday at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in L.M. v. Town of Middleborough.
Liam Morrison, a student at Nichols Middle School, wore a shirt with the words “There are only two genders” in 2023. While at school, he was told by school officials to remove it or be sent home. A lawsuit ensued in May 2023 by Alliance Defending Freedom and the Massachusetts Family Institute on behalf of Morrison, claiming that his right to freedom of speech was being violated.
ADF attorneys are asking the court to rule that the student’s First Amendment was violated and wants the court to stop the school from enforcing an unconstitutional dress code policy that discriminates against students based on their viewpoint.
“Students don’t lose their free speech rights the moment they walk into a school building,” ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman said in a statement.