US appeals court backs Michigan school in banning ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ shirts: Here’s why vulgarity matters more than politics

A federal appeals court has ruled in favour of a Michigan school district that banned students from wearing ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ shirts, rejecting claims that the policy violated the First Amendment. The dispute centred around a phrase that originated as a euphemism for an obscenity aimed at President Joe Biden but became widely used by his critics. The ruling, issued by the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals, came after two boys were told to remove the shirts at Tri County Middle School in 2022. Their mother argued that her sons’ free speech rights were infringed. However, the court’s 2-1 decision sided with the school, which maintained it was addressing vulgar language, not political messages. Court focuses on vulgarity over political expression Judges John Nalbandian and Karen Nel