Students Lose Free Speech Appeal Over ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Shirts

A Michigan school district didn’t violate the US Constitution when it asked two students to remove their “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts because the underlying message is vulgar, a split federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Tri County Area Schools didn’t deprive the middle schoolers of their First Amendment rights since it reasonably interpreted the slogan as being prohibitive vulgar speech, despite its inherent political message, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s majority opinion said.

The panel’s majority ruled to affirm a district judge’s summary judgment in favor of the school district.

“The word’s communicative content is the same ...