The Aporia
The Aporia
The Supreme Court has declined an appeal from a Michigan mother who challenged her local school district's ban on "Let’s Go Brandon" sweatshirts for students. The phrase, widely seen as a coded reference to profanity aimed at then-President Joe Biden, was prohibited by the school due to its perceived vulgarity and disruptive potential. In October 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this ban, ruling that schools could reasonably prohibit such clothing since it constitutes vulgar speech. The mother argued her sons' First Amendment rights were violated when they were instructed to remove these shirts during Christmas in 2022. Despite disagreements among judges on whether political speech can be censored under the guise of vulgarity, the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case leaves the lower court's ruling intact.
The Supreme Court is rebuffing an appeal from a Michigan woman fighting a school district’s ban on shirts with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” a jab at then-President Joe Biden with a coded reference to profanity.
