A North Kirkwood Middle School student was pulled from class March 16 for wearing a t-shirt with what administrators claim might be considered an offensive slang word. Michelle Ramirez went to school wearing a shirt that said, “JESUS, HE SCARES THE HELL OUT OF YOU.”
Under Kirkwood dress code policy, administrators claimed this was a slang use of the word “hell” and asked Michelle to change into a different shirt.
“Outside the school environment, it might be fine,” Kirkwood School District Community Relations Director Ginger Fletcher said to Fox 2 News, “but anything within the school that is inappropriate, vulgar use of language might create a disruption in the school, we’ll ask the student to modify the garment.”
Ramirez refused to change her shirt, supported by her mother Christina. Both Michelle and Christina claim the word is used in a religious way. According to Fletcher, federal law mandates that school officials cannot force a student to remove clothing that includes a religious emblem unless it is causing a disruption.
“At first I was mad, but now I’m happy my teachers got the message,” Ramirez said. “I didn’t want to take my shirt off because of my faith.”