Pennsylvania girl, 15, sues her school district after she was suspended for wearing pro-Trump gear in class
A 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl is suing her local school district after she was suspended for wearing a ‘Women for Trump’ face covering and a ‘Trump the Sequel Make Liberals Cry Again’ t-shirt.
Morgan Earnest, a sophomore at Mifflin County High School in the central Pennsylvania town of Lewistown, says in a lawsuit filed in federal court that her free speech rights were violated by school administrators.
On October 1, the school district issued a new policy on clothing which banned students from wearing anything that contained political messaging, The Patriot News reported.
‘Starting Monday October 5, 2020, no masks, articles of clothing or other items may be worn or otherwise brought to Mifflin County School District property, which contain political speech or symbolize a particular political viewpoint, including but not limited to confederate flags and swastikas, as well as BLM logos or phrases associated with that movement,’ the policy read.
Morgan Earnest, a sophomore at Mifflin County High School in the central Pennsylvania town of Lewistown, says in a lawsuit filed against the school district that she was suspended for wearing a pro-Trump shirt
The back of the shirt reads: 'Trump 2020 The Sequel: Make Liberals Cry Again'
Earnest also wore a 'Women for Trump' face mask, though she was told to turn it inside out by school administrators. When she refused, she was suspended
‘This action is being taken due to complaints that have been received about such items and how those items have disrupted the education of students within the Mifflin County School District.’
On October 12, Earnest ‘decided to show her support for President Trump by wearing to school a mask and t-shirt supporting President Trump’s reelection campaign,’ according to the lawsuit.
She claimed that she wore her pro-Trump garb to school twice before during this academic year without incident.
On October 12, however, she was called into an administrator’s office and asked to turn her mask and shirt inside out for the rest of the day.
When she refused, she was suspended for the day and sent home, according to the filing.
‘The district’s representatives further communicated that she would be sent home if she ever wore a mask or T-shirt expressing a political viewpoint again,’ the lawsuit said.
Earnest claims that the school policy is unconstitutional since it violates her rights to freedom of speech as well as her right to due process of law.
Earnest is a sophomore at Mifflin County High School (pictured above)
Her lawsuit seeks to overturn the suspension and to strike down the school policy.
She is also seeking unspecified monetary damages as well.
The superintendent of Mifflin County School District, Jim Estep, said in a statement to Fox 43 TV: 'We strongly disagree with the allegations in the complaint, including the veracity of those allegations.
'We stand by our decision, which was made in the interests of safety and to ensure students’ educational environment would not continue to be disrupted.
'The decision was made after careful consultation with our solicitor and additional special legal counsel.'