Supreme Court Dismisses Students' Appeal on 'Let’s Go Brandon' Gear

WHO:

ABC News - A Michigan woman challenged a school district's ban on shirts with the phrase "Let’s Go Brandon."

CNN - The two students involved are brothers, one in eighth grade and the other in sixth grade, attending Tri County Middle School in Michigan.

WHAT:

CNN - The Supreme Court's decision to decline the appeal means that the school district's ban on the "Let’s Go Brandon" sweatshirts remains in effect.

CNN - The school district's brief included a t-shirt example depicting Trump with the phrase “And that’s how you GRAB EM!” referencing the "Access Hollywood tape."

CNN - The Supreme Court's decision to reject the appeal leaves in place an appeals court ruling that favored the school district, which had previously ruled that the school could ban the apparel due to its vulgar subtext.

CNN - The school district's brief included a t-shirt example depicting Trump with the phrase “And that’s how you GRAB EM!” referencing the "Access Hollywood tape."

ABC News - The Supreme Court rejected the appeal regarding the school's ban on "Let’s Go Brandon" sweatshirts.

CNN - The Supreme Court declined to take up a First Amendment appeal from the students who were ordered to remove their sweatshirts.

CNN - The family of the students sued in 2023, alleging violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

CNN - The Supreme Court's decision left in place an appeals court ruling that favored the school district.

WHERE:

CNN - The events took place at Tri County Middle School in Michigan.

WHEN:

CNN - The students wore the sweatshirts in 2022.

CNN - A decision in the case is expected next year.

WHY:

CNN - The school district argued that the phrase "Let’s Go Brandon" could be considered vulgar and offensive language, which schools may prohibit.

CNN - The phrase "Let’s Go Brandon" became a right-wing code for "Fk Joe Biden," originating from a NASCAR race in 2021.

CNN - The school district argued that the sweatshirts could be considered vulgar and offensive language, which schools may prohibit.

HOW:

CNN - The school district's argument included that the phrase "69" is often understood to refer to a sexual position, illustrating the context in which speech may be deemed lewd and not protected in schools.

CNN - The school district's argument included that the phrase "69" is often understood to refer to a sexual position, illustrating the context in which speech may be deemed lewd and not protected in schools.

CNN - The school district's brief included examples of lewd speech and argued that context matters in determining whether speech is protected in schools.

CNN - The school district was represented by veteran Supreme Court lawyer Lisa Blatt.

(UPDATED October 5, 2026 19:07 UTC)

The Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal, which means the school district's ban on "Let’s Go Brandon" sweatshirts will remain in place. The district argued that the phrase could be seen as vulgar and offensive, especially when considering other examples like a t-shirt depicting Trump with the phrase “And that’s how you GRAB EM!” referencing the "Access Hollywood tape." They also pointed out that the number "69" is commonly understood to refer to a sexual position, further illustrating their stance that certain speech can be deemed lewd and not protected in school settings.

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(UPDATED October 5, 2026 18:02 UTC)

The Supreme Court has decided to reject an appeal, which upholds an appeals court ruling that allows a school district to ban certain apparel due to its vulgar subtext. This decision comes after the school district presented a t-shirt featuring Trump with the phrase “And that’s how you GRAB EM!” referencing the infamous "Access Hollywood tape." The district argued that the number "69" is commonly understood to refer to a sexual position, highlighting the context in which speech can be considered lewd and therefore not protected in educational settings.

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(UPDATED October 5, 2026 17:06 UTC)

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal regarding a Michigan school district's ban on sweatshirts featuring the phrase "Let’s Go Brandon," which has become a controversial political slogan. The case involves two brothers, one in eighth grade and the other in sixth, who wore the sweatshirts at Tri County Middle School in 2022, and their family had sued the school district in 2023, claiming violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The court's decision upholds an appeals court ruling that favored the school district, which argued that the phrase could be considered vulgar and offensive, and a decision on the matter is expected next year.