A mid-Michigan school district is being sued by two students who say their first amendment rights were violated after teachers asked them to remove their “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts.
The “Let’s Go Brandon” phenomenon came to life during a live interview with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown after winning a race in 2021.
Fans started chanting an expletive regarding President Joe Biden. A reporter said the fans were chanting “Let’s Go Brandon” instead.
The phrase has become a conservative rallying cry, and is held up as evidence of media bias.
Conor Fitzpatrick is a lawyer for the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression, and lead attorney on the case.
He says a 1969 Supreme Court case involving students wearing black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam War has set the legal precedent.
"And the Supreme Court held that wearing those armbands was squarely protected by the First Amendment because the students were not disrupting lessons," Fitzpatrick told WCMU.
Tri-County Area Schools, which covers parts of Newaygo, Montcalm and Kent counties, didn’t respond to our multiple requests for comment.
Fitzpatrick says the school district can’t play favorites when it comes to what political attire is accepted at school and claims the school allowed various other forms of political expression to be worn in school.
"Once you allow students to express their political beliefs in school peacefully as The First Amendment requires," said Fitzpatrick, "the school can't decide which viewpoints students are allowed to express."
