A Massachusetts federal court declined a temporary injunction request from a local seventh grader who sued his school district to wear a “there are only two genders” T-shirt.
Liam Morrison, a seventh grader in Middleborough Public Schools, had filed a lawsuit in federal court last month against the officials of his school district and Nichols Middle School, arguing that they had violated his right to freedom of speech when his school principal sent him home from school for refusing to remove his T-shirt.
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The school allegedly barred him from wearing the shirt along with another shirt that said “There are censored genders” on the grounds that the shirt made other students feel “unsafe.”
Following a Wednesday hearing, a federal judge said that Morrison could not wear the shirt while the case is being heard. The middle school student is represented by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative nonprofit legal group.
Wednesday’s ruling is not the final say in the case, but rather on an injunction against the school’s policy. The next hearing is on June 13.
Logan Spena, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, told the Washington Examiner in a statement that the court was taking Morrison’s case seriously by scheduling a quick succession of hearings, even if the first hearing yielded a disappointing result.
“The court has shown that it takes threats to Liam’s First Amendment rights very seriously by quickly hearing our initial request and setting a follow-up hearing to try to issue a decision before the end of the school year,” Spena said. “While the court did not immediately grant our request, we are hopeful that it will act to protect Liam’s rights after the June 13th hearing.”
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“Students don’t give up their free speech when they walk into the school building and ADF is here to protect this right not only for Liam, but for all students,” he added.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Middleborough Public Schools.
