Cumberland County student asked to 'cover up' after teachers found shirt offensive

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Cumberland County student was asked to cover up after teachers found her shirt to be offensive.

"Why be racist, sexist homophobic or transphobic when you could just be quiet?" The shirt read.

Katie Smith told ABC11 her daughter is a seventh grade student at Albritton Middle School on Fort Bragg and wore the shirt to school for dress down day. She was asked to cover up.

"I don't think any of us really imagined adults would take issue with the shirt suggesting that discrimination is not OK," said Smith. "I told the staff that the shirt represented categories of children who are marginalized. In a time we are trying to combat bullying, I think it's so counterproductive to that."

Public Affairs Officer Jade Fulce with the Department of Defense Education Activity released the following statement the morning after ABC11 reported the incident:

"Students are at the heart of everything we do. After further review of our dress code policies, we realized that the shirt did not violate our policies. The school reached out to the parents and apologized that same day."