SCHOOL A PROBLEM 12-YEAR-OLD
LIAM MORRISON WAS TOLD TO CHANGE
OR GET OUT OF CLASS.
AFTER POLITELY REFUSING TO TAKE
OFF THE SHIRT HE WAS SENT HOME.
NOW LIAM AND HIS FAMILY ARE
SUING HIS TOWN AND SCHOOL FOR
CENSORING HIS VIEWS WHILE THE
SCHOOL PROMOTES THE LGBTQ AGENDA
WITH PRIDE FLAGS AND POSTERS
LIAM JOINS US NOW FROM HOME
ALONG WITH THE ATTORNEY
REPRESENTING HIM.
GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.
THANKS FOR JOINING US LIAM,
LET’S START WITH YOU, BACK IN
MARCH WHEN YOU WORE THAT SHIRT
TO SCHOOL.
LET’S START WITH WHY DID YOU
WANT TO WEAR A SHIRT THAT SAID
THERE ARE ONLY TWO GENDERS?
>> I WANT TO WEAR THAT SHIRT
BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY POPULAR
TOPIC AND I WANTED TO VOICE MY
OPINION ABOUT IT.
>> AND SO BY WEARING THE SHIRT YOU WORE, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU
YOU WORE, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU
SHOWED UP IN SCHOOL WITH THAT?
WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED PEOPLE
COMMEMORATING ME AND HAPPY AND
AGREEING WITH ME FOR WEARING THE
SHIRT.
>> Steve: OKAY.
AT SOME POINT A TEACHER MUST
HAVE HAD AN OBJECTION OR --
BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL EVENTUALLY
CAME UP TO YOU AND WHAT DID THEY
TELL YOU?
>> THEY TOLD ME A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE BEING UPSET BY MY SHIRT AND
WERE BEING UPSET BY MY SHIRT AND
THAT THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE IT
OFF.
>> Steve: I UNDERSTAND THAT.
DID YOU DISCUSS WITH THEM?
LOOK, THERE ARE ONLY TWO
JEANDERS.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO JEANDERS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GENDER
IDENTITIES NOW BUT THERE ARE
ONLY TWO GENDERS.
>> YEAH.
DID I HAVE A BIT OF A DISCUSSION
WITH THEM ABOUT IT AFTER THEY
TOLD ME TO TAKE IT OFF.
>> RIGHT.
BUT YOU WERE GOING TO STAND UP
FOR YOUR RIGHT TO YOUR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHT YOU DIDN’T TAKE
IT OF O.
THEY SENT YOU HOME.
THEN A COUPLE WEEKS LATER YOU
WORE ANOTHER SHIRT TO SCHOOL.
TELL US ABOUT THAT ONE.
>> YEAH.
SO IT WAS THAT SAME ONLY TWO
GENDERS PART.
ONLY TWO PART DUCT TAPE TO SAY
CENSORED TON MORE OR LESS A
SYMBOLISM FOR HOW THEY WERE
CENSORING ME.
>> IS THAT HOW YOU FEEL THE
SCHOOL WAS CRERPSING YOUR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS?
>> YEAH.
THEY COMPLETELY BLOCKED MY
ABILITY TO TOOK AWAY MY ABILITY
TO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN
THEY WANTED ME TO HAVE.
>> Steve: ALL RIGHT.
NOW, TYSON, YOU ARE REPRESENTING
LIAM AND HIS FAMILY IN THIS CASE
THIS IS NOT ABOUT TWO T-SHIRTS,
IS IT.
>> NO.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THIS IS ABOUT A SCHOOL CENSORING
A SEVENTH GRADER WHO JUST HAS A
DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT.
IF STUDENTS DON’T FORFEIT THEIR
FREE SPEECH RIGHTS WHEN THEY
STEP INTO THE SCHOOL.
THE SCHOOL IS TALKING ABOUT THIS
ISSUE ALL THE TIME AND ALL LIAM
WANTED TO DO WAS TO EXPRESS HIS
OPINION WHICH IS ACTUALLY SHARED
BY A LOT OF HIS CLASSMATES.
>> Steve: SO, THE SHIRT ITSELF
THERE ARE JUST TWO GENDERS.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT GENDER
IDENTITIES AS I SAID A MOMENT
AGO.
BUT DOES THE SCHOOL HAVE
SOMETHING AGAINST THAT?
>> IT’S HARD TO TELL BECAUSE
THEIR STUDENT HANDBOOK ACTUALLY
SAYS THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST
BE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF BOTH
SEXES.
AND IT SAYS THAT SEXUAL ASSAULT
CAN’T BE AGAINST EITHER GENDER.
THE SCHOOL’S OWN COMMUNICATIONS
ACTUALLY SUPPORT LIAM’S
VIEWPOINT BUT WHAT THEY TOLD HIM
IS THAT HE CAN’T EXPRESS THAT ON
HIS SHIRT.
AND WE THINK THAT’S WRONG.
NO STUDENT SHOULD EVER BE
PUNISHED FOR SIMPLY PEACEFULLY
SHARING THEIR VIEW ON A REALLY
IMPORTANT TOPIC.
>>
>> Steve: LIAM, I BET YOU HAVE
BEEN TEMPTED TO WEAR ANOTHER
SHIRT WITH ANOTHER MESSAGE.
ARE YOU GONNA?
>> WELL, IF WE END UP BEING ABLE
TO WIN THAT -- THIS CASE THAT WE
ARE IN, I’M DEFINITELY GOING TO
BE WEARING IT AGAIN.
>> Steve: THE SAME SHIRT?
>> YES, OF COURSE.
>> Steve: I THINK I WOULD HAVE A
NEW SHIRT MADE THAT SAID "WE
WON."
IF THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS.
>> YEAH.
>> Steve: LIAM, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
I KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO SCHOOL
TODAY.
ANYBODY GIVING YOU TROUBLE AT
SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THIS?
>> I WOULD SAY NO, NO ONE HAS
REALLY GIVEN ME ANY TROUBLE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH
WHAT I’M DOING, IN FACT.
>> Steve: ALL RIGHT.
WELL, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE
MIDDLE BOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FOR A STATEMENT.
THEY DID NOT RESPOND.
MIDDLE BOROUGH TOWN MANAGER
JAMES MAGREL SAID HE COULD NOT
COMMENT ON THE PENDING
LITIGATION.
TYSON AND LIAM, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, BOTH OF YOU, FOR JOINING