All Samantha Kuehn had on her mind when she wore her new t-shirt to school -- with the slogan save the ta-tas plastered across the front -- was her mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and just received a mastectomy two weeks ago.But officials at Oklahoma Union High School in Nowata County are not happy about the senior student's decision to wear such a shirt to school. The moment they saw it, in fact, they sent her home. And they told her not to return until she changed the shirt.
Kuehn and her mom, Michelle Bishop, are stunned that the shirt caused such an uproar.
"I was so surprised that my shirt would cause so much trouble," said Samantha. "Other girls wear low cut shirts or belly shirts and the boys wear shirts with put downs on them and no one bothers them. My shirt isn't really vulgar or offensive at all, and it means something to me. The principal told me 'It could be taken the wrong way'."
Principal Steven Barth believes he made the right call.
"If you check the Web site, the clothing sold there is suggestive," explained Barth. "I feel for the condition of her mother, but the shirt was inappropriate to wear to school."
Kuehn and her mom plan to take the matter to a Board of Education meeting on April 11. And you can bet Kuehn will be wearing her shirt.
Visit savethetatas.com for more information on this breast cancer initiative. Sales of all clothing items -- pick your size, slogan and color -- benefit the fight against the disease.
1. Jacki,
This is so petty! I have seen t-shirts far more suggestive and so vulgar they shouldn't be allowed to be worn at home let alone in the public!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a cancer insignia in between the word ta-tas? The only thing I see is a young woman expressing and showing her support in the fight against breast cancer. And probably bringing awareness to a lot of her fellow students. I wonder if Mr Barth would have allowed "save the breasts"? I really doubt it.
I was in the post office buying stamps. I buy breast cancer stamps as my way of supporting breast cancer research. On the stamp itself, shows a woman lying on her side, one arm underneath her head, the other across her side and stomach. She is wearing a shirt or dress with only one strap. To me it is in good taste and a piece of art, the colors, it's a beautiful stamp. However, a woman standing behind me made the remark; it was disgusting,"it looks as if she is being suggestive sexually, or she is going to feel her own breasts". I turned around, and said "I think she is beautiful, and one usually has to touch ones self in order to perform a self examination, the stamp does relate to breast cancer and awareness mam." The postmaster applauded as did others.
My point being, everybody will see things differently through their own eye's, right or wrong, or just plain ignorance. This Mr Steven Barth sounds like a true ignoramus just as the woman in the post office.
Both Samantha and especially her mother have a fight ahead of them. I wish them both wellness, and strength. Looking forward to the day when Samantha wears her "save the ta-tas" t-shirt back to school. What if all of Samantha's friends got together, well, everybody wear the t-shirt. What are they going to do? Expel all the students?
My prayers are with you both,
Take care all, Sincerely Jason
Posted at 4:01PM on Apr 3rd 2007 by Jason Chambers