New York mother sues school over son's suspension

A mother in New York has filed a lawsuit against her son’s middle school. She claims he was punished for stating his belief that there are only two genders. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court this past Thursday. The student, known as "A.B.," is from East Aurora Middle School. He was suspended for five days in March. The school said part of the reason for his suspension was his comment about gender, which he made in November. At that time, no action was taken. According to the lawsuit, the school accused A.B. of "violent conduct" for his remark. A.B. does not appear to have disturbed other students or targeted anyone with his comment. The lawsuit argues that A.B.’s expression was misunderstood and retaliatory in nature. The mother’s legal team claims the school is violating A.B.’s First Amendment rights. They argue that his comments were protected speech under the law. The lawsuit also cites a potential motive related to a recent executive order from former President Donald Trump, which recognized two genders. The student’s attorney stated that it is concerning that an educational institution punished a student for expressing a view aligned with the government’s policy. The lawsuit seeks damages and requests for the school to remove any disciplinary records related to A.B.'s speech. School officials named in the lawsuit did not respond to requests for comments.