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by John Klar
A thirteen-year-old student “M.P.” at Peoples Academy Middle Level school in Morristown recently donned a shirt displaying the woke-verboten statement that “There are only 2 genders,” and she was disciplined for it. In an act of civil disobedience, M.P. wore the shirt to school again. And the school disciplined her again.
Aghast that M.P. would be reprimanded for the simple, commonsense message on her shirt, her mother and stepfather contacted and retained the Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm “defending life, family, and freedom.”
In a letter to school officials, Thomas More Society special counsel Adam Hochschild said M.P. had been illegally targeted by the school’s principal by “pulling [M.P.] out of class, reprimanding her, punishing her with in-school suspension, and calling her shirt ‘hate speech.’”
Hochschild invoked the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, which concerned students disciplined for wearing black arm bands in protest against the Vietnam War. The court ruled displeased school officials were not permitted to regulate such student speech: “Clearly, the prohibition of expression of one particular opinion, at least without evidence that it is necessary to avoid material and substantial interference with schoolwork or discipline, is not constitutionally permissible.”
Hochschild further criticized the school’s practice as violating M.P.’s religious liberties, because “her decision to wear the shirt is motivated, in part, by Genesis 1:27 (‘God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’)” As the Supreme Court recently recognized in a case involving a praying football coach, the free exercise and free speech clauses of the First Amendment “work in tandem.”
The school relented. Perhaps it was influenced by President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order recognizing the “incontrovertible reality” that there are only two sexes and directing the termination of “federal funding of gender ideology.” Peoples Academy receives federal funding.
Even though the school had relented, M.P. was threatened with discipline yet again by a teacher when M.P. next wore the shirt to school the following week. But the school acknowledged that should not have happened; the teacher’s errant rebuke was retracted.
M.P. is determined — backed by legal counsel, the president of the United States, the Constitution, and the school’s capitulation — to try to exercise her basic First Amendment rights unhindered by government restraint. She plans to wear the shirt to school again this month.
The author is a Brookfield attorney, writer, pastor, and farmer. This article was first published on The Federalist.
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Categories: Commentary, Education, Local government
Amen for her! Kudos. And thank you.
Totally agree with you! Good for her! She has a right to wear that! Especially when some schools fly LGBTQ flags! Very proud of MP!
Wokeness, is a live and well in Deep Blue Vermont, take them to the cleaner with a major law suit ………….
Maybe they’ll learn, since it sounds like they are uneducated about the constitution and other laws.
Glad this young lady is pushing back against the inane ” wokeism ” that has bedeviled our country for the past four years.
This incident can be reported to the Department of Education as a violation of the executive order and an act of discrimination. The school will be flagged for investigation. I encourage the reporting of all schools in violation.
https://enddei.ed.gov/
“In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. George Orwell.
Usually the school will come out strong and united in their woke stance. And after getting their attorney involved and the payout told to them if (when) they lose in court, they’ll usually fold like a cheap card table.
unfortunately, they have insurance to pay for lawsuit awards. These kinds of suits should come directly out of their next-year’s school budget…
The most terrified teacher in all the United States, a Vermont biology teacher 2 years from retirement.
A 13 year old girl has more brains and rightousness than many adult men and adult women in this State – You go girl! If the woke can fly their symbolic politcal flags and spew their politically charged rhetoric (which was not allowed in school at all – used to be the rule anyway,) those who disagree have the right to do the same. It’s all about equity, diversity, inclusivity and co-existing right? Or is that a only bestowed upon or those who agree, obey and comply with the ideocracy of their democracy?
How is a student supposed to know when they cross the line? If a girl wears a pink shirt saying “my body, my choice” that has the Planned Parenthood logo, is that ok? Is it ok if a boy wears a black shirt that says “my body, my choice” with a depiction of a vaccine syringe, is that ok? Oops, I used confusing and non-inclusive terminology referring to “girls and boys”. What if someone wears a shirt that says “there are 72 genders”?
The “school” did not reprimanded M.P. It was the unchallenged action of one administrator. That administrator can not be allowed to hide behind the entire school. Time to pull back the curtain and hold this public servant up to the light.
…and make the individual public servant personally liable for the infringement.
God bless this young woman for her faith, love, and courage. May she inspire many of her classmates, teachers, staff, and administration to live courageously instead of being intimidated and silenced by the demons of darkness which seek to cancel us and hide the Light.
Why is this administrator not being named publicly, as the egregious actions of Layne Millington were a few years ago?
Thank you so much M.P. Your self-confidence and bravery are very inspiring!
That’s so unfair and against that student’s First Amendment Rights. They have a right to express their opinion!
MP’s statement is actually the correct answer to a knowledgeable middle school biology teacher’s question of, ” How many genders are there?” Just like 2 + 2 still equals 4 as it always has, MP’s response of “There are only 2 genders” is right! and always have been Those who think otherwise are, sadly, failures…
“Hate speech” is and extremely subjective term. However, the First Amendment’s protection of speech is not unambiguous.
I want a shirt like that
When I went to school I learned there are only 2 genders. And this school has the nerve to punish a student for visually stating the truth. These school administration s must be set straight and punished.
All I can say is…I LOVE IT! MP don’t ever back down, be firm but courteous, the truth needs to be heard!
The Vermont Agency of Education has a link on their website for a law firm called GLAD Law. If you click on the link there is a form to fill out if a student has experienced harassment/bullying. It also states that individuals seeking immediate resources can reach out to GLAD LAW ANSWERS. Oh, excuse me, I stand corrected. This resource from our AOE is not for all children. It pertains to their policy called:
“Continuing Best Practices for Schools Regarding
Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students”
Hmmm, yeah, right,……I see.
I guess the Vermont Agency of Education has no resources for the harassement/bullying of a little girl.