Oregon Student Reaches Settlement With School District Over Trump T-Shirt
An Oregon high school student who was suspended after wearing a “Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co.” T-shirt to class has reached a settlement with his school district.
Liberty High School senior Addison Barnes will receive a written apology and $25,000 after his lawyers claimed his First Amendment rights were violated. The student wore the shirt to a politics class where the topic of discussion was immigration. A teacher and student in the class said they were offended, prompting a suspension from school.
In late May, a judge prohibited the school district from banning the shirt while the lawsuit was in progress, a sign that the case had merits to succeed, if the student decided to move forward.
Hillsboro School District officials said they decided to settle the case to avoid the “cost and disruption” of litigation. The $25,000 covers legal fees.
“Please accept my apologies for charging you with a suspension,” the school’s principal, Greg Timmons, wrote in his apology to Barnes. “Best wishes to you in the future.”