Can a Tennessee school force a student to use someone’s preferred pronouns? A new federal court ruling says no — unless the student’s speech crosses the line into bullying or harassment. Tennessee’s own laws now reinforce that schools can regulate harmful conduct, but they cannot punish students simply for having different beliefs about gender. This article explains what the ruling means for Tennessee families, how schools must adjust their policies, and the rights parents can expect going forward.

When a Michigan middle school banned students from wearing “Let’s Go Brandon” shirts, the dispute quickly turned into a First Amendment test case.

For Tennessee educators, the message is clear: political speech is protected — profanity is not.
This new decision gives schools a defensible line to follow when student slogans blur the boundary between expression and civility.

This past week, the 6th Circuit released a ruling affirming a districts court holding that a school did not violate a student’s 1st Amendment Rights when they suspended them for comments made off-campus on a personal Instagram account. Kutchinski v. Freeland Community School District, 6th Circuit 2023.