Nos. 23-1535, 23-1645

L.M., a minor by and through his father and stepmother and natural guardians, Christopher and Susan Morrison,

Plaintiff, Appellant,

v.

TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS; MIDDLEBOROUGH SCHOOL COMMITTEE; CAROLYN J. LYONS, Superintendent, Middleborough Public Schools, in her official capacity; HEATHER TUCKER, Acting Principal, Nichols Middle School, in her official capacity,

Defendants, Appellees.

APPEALS FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

[Hon. Indira Talwani, U.S. District Judge]

Before

Barron, Chief Judge, Thompson and Montecalvo, Circuit Judges.

David A. Cortman, with whom Rory T. Gray, Tyson C. Langhofer, P. Logan Spena, John J. Bursch, Andrew D. Beckwith, Samuel J. Whiting, Alliance Defending Freedom, and Massachusetts Family Institute were on brief, for appellant. J. Michael Connolly, Thomas S. Vaseliou, Rachel L. Daley, and Consovoy McCarthy PLLC on brief for Parents Defending Education, amicus curiae. Joseph D. Spate, Assistant Deputy Solicitor General of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, Attorney General, Robert Cook, Solicitor General, J. Emory Smith, Jr., Deputy Solicitor General, Thomas T. Hydrick, Assistant Deputy Solicitor General, Steve Marshall, Attorney General of Alabama, Tim Griffin, Attorney General of Arkansas, Christopher M. Carr, Attorney General of Georgia, Raúl Labrador, Attorney General of Idaho, Brenna Bird, Attorney General of Iowa, Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky, Jeff Landry, Attorney General of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi, Andrew Bailey, Attorney General of Missouri, Austin Knudsen, Attorney General of Montana, Michael T. Hilgers, Attorney General of Nebraska, Drew Wrigley, Attorney General of North Dakota, Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, Sean Reyes, Attorney General of Utah, and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, on brief for South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, amici curiae. Robert Corn-Revere and Abigail E. Smith on brief for Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, amicus curiae. Gary M. Lawkowski and Dhillon Law Group, Inc. on brief for Center for American Liberty, amicus curiae. James L. Kerwin, William E. Trachman, and Ilya Shapiro on brief for Mountain States Legal Foundation and Manhattan Institute, amici curiae. Catherine W. Short and Sheila A. Green on brief for Life Legal Defense Foundation and Young America's Foundation, amici curiae. Gene C. Shaerr, Jennifer C. Braceras, and Schaerr Jaffe LLP on brief for Independent Women's Law Center, amicus curiae. Deborah J. Dewart on brief for the Institute for Faith and Family, amicus curiae. Deborah I. Ecker, with whom Gregg J. Corbo and KP Law, P.C. were on brief, for appellees. Ruth A. Bourquin, Kirsten V. Mayer, and Rachel E. Davidson on brief for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, Inc., amicus curiae. Chris Erchull, Mary L. Bonauto, Gary D. Buseck, Michael J. Long, Kelly T. Gonzalez, and Long, Dipietro, and Gonzalez, LLP on brief for GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, amici curiae. Charles McLaurin, Jin Hee Lee, Avatara Smith-Carrington, Janai S. Nelson, Samuel Spital, Alexsis Johnson, and Colin Burke on brief for NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., amicus curiae.

June 9, 2024 BARRON, Chief Judge. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), famously upheld the First Amendment right of public-school students to wear black armbands at school in protest of the country's inv