A Michigan mother lost her last appeal when the Supreme Court on Monday, October 5, refused to hear her case over the “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts her two sons were made to take off at school. A lower court had ruled that the phrase stands in for a profanity aimed at Joe Biden, so the school was allowed to ban it, and that ruling now stands.
Story Snapshot
- The Supreme Court declined to hear the Michigan student-speech case, which leaves the school’s ban in place.
- A federal appeals court said the school could treat “Let’s Go Brandon” as vulgar because of what the phrase stands for.
- The family argued the slogan is political speech with no actual swear words in it.
- The school district said messages with a lewd meaning have no place in school, even when they touch on politics.
What The Supreme Court Did And What That Means
When the Supreme Court declines to hear a case, it does not rule on who was right. It simply leaves the lower court’s decision as the final word. Here, that decision came from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal appeals court one step below the Supreme Court that covers Michigan. A divided panel of that court sided with the school district. The practical effect is simple. School leaders keep wide room to restrict student clothing they consider vulgar, even if it carries a political point.
The appeals court rested on a 1986 Supreme Court ruling that says schools may prohibit vulgar and offensive language. The lower court said that rule covers “Let’s Go Brandon” even though the words themselves are clean. The phrase began in 2021 at a NASCAR race, when a crowd chanted a profanity at then-President Biden and a television sports reporter said the fans were shouting “Let’s go, Brandon” for the winning driver, Brandon Brown. Since then the slogan has been used as a stand-in for the crude chant.
How The Case Started In Michigan
The two brothers wore “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts to Tri County Middle School in Michigan in 2022. A teacher and an assistant principal told them to take the sweatshirts off. The family sued in 2023, saying the school violated the boys’ rights under the First Amendment, which protects free speech, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which applies those protections to states and their public schools. Court papers identify the boys only by their initials.
The family’s lawyers, from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free-speech legal group, argued the phrase is political speech and contains no swear words. They said the ruling gives school officials too much room to shut down political speech based on their own idea of what is vulgar. The school district answered that messages with a lewd meaning do not belong in school, even when they are about politics. The district also pointed to evidence that students wore “Make America Great Again” clothing and other messages supporting President Trump.
Why Courts Drew The Line Where They Did
Two older Supreme Court rulings pull in different directions here. A landmark case known as Tinker v. Des Moines says students do not lose their First Amendment rights when they enter school. The 1986 ruling says schools may still keep vulgar and offensive language out, depending on the setting. The appeals court placed “Let’s Go Brandon” under the second rule because of the chant the phrase points to, not because of the words printed on the fabric.
The appeals court panel was divided, which shows judges did not all see the case the same way. That split is why many parents are paying attention. If a coded slogan can be labeled vulgar, a school can order a political message off a student’s back without having to show that it disrupted class.
What Parents And Students Should Watch Next
School districts across the country use dress codes to keep out obscene, lewd, or disruptive messages. This case fits that pattern but adds a modern twist: coded political speech. Because the Supreme Court did not step in, families who object will have to press these fights with their own school boards. Parents can read their district’s policy, ask for clear and even rules, and keep a record of any one-sided enforcement. A fair rule does not target a viewpoint. It applies the same way to every student.
Conservatives care about equal treatment and open debate. Students should learn to argue, not hide ideas. When a district calls a political slogan vulgar, it shuts down that debate. Courts allow it under the 1986 ruling, but voters and school boards still choose the rules. Parents can attend meetings, propose plain-language dress codes, and ask for training so staff apply policies fairly. That local pressure can guard free speech while keeping real profanity and obscenity out of class.
Sources:
wokv.com, timesunion.com, usatoday.com, mezha.net, freep.com, audacy.com
