WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court denied review on June 8, 2026, in an appeal initiated by a former third-grade student who was prohibited from wearing a cap depicting an AR-15 rifle to public school. The Court's decision lets stand lower court rulings that upheld the school's action.
The dispute began in 2022 when the student, identified in court filings as C.S., wore the cap during a designated hat day. School officials requested the removal of the cap due to concerns about student distress. These concerns followed a high school shooting that occurred 50 miles from the campus.
C.S. subsequently filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that school officials violated her First Amendment free speech rights. School representatives argued that the hat restriction applied specifically to a special event known as the Great Kindness Challenge, which involved a temporary modification of standard dress codes.
A federal district court in Michigan ruled in favor of the school district. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit later affirmed this decision. School representatives further argued they were protected by qualified immunity, asserting that prior court precedent in 2022 had not clearly established a constitutional right to wear firearm imagery to school.
C.S. filed a petition for review with the Supreme Court in January 2026. The justices did not add new cases to the argument docket for the 2026-27 term with their denial. The justices are scheduled to convene for a private conference on June 11, 2026, with orders from that conference slated for publication on June 15, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. EDT.