Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr has expressed concerns over a school’s treatment of a student wearing a shirt with the statement “There are only two genders.” He said that school officials “targeted” the student and joined other attorneys general in criticizing what they describe as “hypocritical, selective enforcement.” Carr made these remarks in a post on X dated November 12.
“School officials targeted a student for wearing a shirt that said, ‘There are only two genders,” said Carr. “This nonsense & discrimination has to stop. Proud to join our fellow AGs in pushing back against hypocritical, selective enforcement like this.”
According to Carr, he shared a legal brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a student’s petition in L.M. v. Town of Middleborough, Massachusetts. The brief, which was joined by 18 states, argues that the First Circuit Court misapplied the Tinker standard by upholding a school’s decision to silence passive speech without proving it caused significant disruption. This, according to Carr’s document, undermines free speech protections and highlights a split among circuit courts regarding how schools must justify restrictions, particularly concerning dress codes.
The brief contends that the First Circuit’s decision allows viewpoint discrimination and weakens students’ speech rights by permitting schools to favor certain perspectives. It warns that if upheld, this ruling could create a restrictive environment in public schools, limiting diverse viewpoints and prioritizing avoiding offense over fostering open dialogue and character development.
Carr was appointed as Georgia’s attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and re-elected in November 2022. Since taking office, he has focused on issues such as human trafficking, gang activity, and opioid misuse. His initiatives include establishing Georgia’s first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit. Additionally, during his tenure as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia was recognized as the top state for business.
