When he was in seventh grade, Liam Morrison wore a T-shirt to Nichols Middle School in Middleborough, Massachusetts that read, "There are only two genders."
The school's principal and counselor pulled Morrison out of class and ordered him to change his shirt. When he politely declined, school officials told him he could not return to class; he left school and missed the rest of his classes that day.
Morrison later lawyered up with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) for a case that saw a few courts rule in the school system's favor.
Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeal.
"We're disappointed the Supreme Court chose not to hear this critical free speech case," David Cortman, ADF's senior counsel and vice president of U.S. litigation, said in a press release. "As Justice Alito recognized: 'The case presents an issue of great importance for our Nation's youth.' Students don't lose their free speech rights the moment they walk into a school building. Schools can't suppress students' views they disagree with."
Cortman says the school actively promotes its view about gender through posters and "Pride" events, and it encourages students to wear clothing with messages on the topic — so long as they align with the school's views on the subject.
"Our legal system is built on the truth that the government cannot silence any speaker just because it disapproves of what they say," said Cortman. "Alliance Defending Freedom will continue to defend the rights of students to speak freely on important issues of the day without government censorship."
Michael King, president of Massachusetts Family Institute, tells AFN his organization is also disappointed.
"[Morrison has] inspired students and adults to speak what we believe to be truth, especially when it comes to biology," he says.
His organization recently launched the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center.
"We also believe that there will be more students to be future plaintiffs, and we will continue to challenge this error at the First Circuit," King continues. "We're excited about that. We always say that Massachusetts is a target rich state in the sense that there's constantly violations of First Amendment issues here, and we're happy to support those students that want to come forward and stand with us for their constitutional rights."
Massachusetts Family Institute notes that President Trump declared at his inauguration that it would "henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female."
