Are These Shirts Inappropriate to Wear on 9/11? One School Said Yes

Students at a Mississippi high school say their 9/11 tributes got them sent to the office for violating the dress code.

Kelton Stewart and Clay Earnest said the shirts they wore on 9/11 got them in trouble for violating the dress code. (Image source: WREG-TV)

Administrators at H. W. Byers High School in Slayden, Miss., loosened the uniform code for "Patriotic Day," allowing students to wear white T-shirts with American flags on them, WREG-TV reported.

Kelton Stewart wore a red and blue T-shirt with the words "America -- land of the free" stamped on it. Clay Earnest wore a white shirt that said "U.S. pride" on the back. Both said they were sent to the office.

“The vice principal told me that it was unsatisfactory and that the shirt was not acceptable," Stewart told WREG. “If you’re going to wear something to do with your country and the colors are red, white and blue, then why are you being told you can’t wear the red, white and blue when you come to school?”

Earnest said other students complained that his shirt looked like it had "gang" writing.

Other students complained about the "gang" style of Clay Earnest's shirt. (Image source: WREG-TV)

"The fonting is a little difficult to read, but it says 'U.S. pride' on the back," he said. “They just jumped straight to the conclusion that you’re in a gang -- that you’re trying to be part of gang or something like that when you know that you’re against those kinds of things.”

The school's principal, Dante Thornton, told WREG none of the students were suspended or sent home, they were just told to have their parents bring them appropriate clothing.

Marshall County School District Superintendent Jerry Moore told the station he didn't think the decision had anything to do with gang wording, but said he would rethink whether to give students any casual dress days in the future.

--

[related]