Backpack patch trouble

DENVER — A student who was pulled out of his seventh-grade class for displaying several patches on his backpack, including a Firearms Policy Coalition patch with an image of a firearm and a patch displaying a Gadsden flag, can pursue his as-applied violation of free speech claim against both the school and the school district. While the school and district appeared to point fingers at each other, neither argued that the student’s claims were insufficient. The student also plausibly alleged that the individual school officials sought to punish him for his silent expression of speech.