Teacher confiscated AKA shirt from girl at school

[navane]

A teacher in Nashville saw that a child in her class was wearing an AKA shirt. Since the child is not a member, the teacher confiscated the shirt and gave the child a new shirt. Complicating matters...the child is white and got the shirt as a hand-me-down from the mother's friend.

I would think that, because "AKA" are Latin letters, which don't read as "Greek", the mother didn't know it was a "Greek" shirt. Plus, a general member of the public wouldn't know what the significance of 1908 is anyway. They probably thought it was just the logo of the clothing brand or something. The teacher could have addressed it differently than to take the little girl's shirt from her and sending her home in a different outfit.

Link: https://www.newschannel5.com/news/wh...-letters-on-it

[Phrozen Sands]

We’ve got teachers teaching students how to make “black face” art for Black History Month, so that’s lightweight, although not surprising to me. Some of these teachers don’t need to be teaching.

[Zach]

Who handed down the shirt? I’d start with that first. I know a lot of white Sigmas, so race isn’t the issue for me. It’s the person that handed down the shirt that I would have a problem with.

[carnation]

I see a lot of Greek shirts at the Salvation Army and Goodwill, so maybe they got it there.

[navane]

Originally Posted by Zach

Who handed down the shirt? I’d start with that first. I know a lot of white Sigmas, so race isn’t the issue for me. It’s the person that handed down the shirt that I would have a problem with.

Honest question, the shirt appears to have been manufactured to be a child's sized shirt and, I assume, be marketed to children. Is the daughter of an AKA allowed to wear the shirt even though the child did not pledge and is not a member?

Originally Posted by carnation

I see a lot of Greek shirts at the Salvation Army and Goodwill, so maybe they got it there.

Possibly. If this was the case, are we to shame poor people who wear hand me downs or have to shop at a thrift store for clothes?

[Zach]

Originally Posted by navane

Honest question, the shirt appears to have been manufactured to be a child's sized shirt and, I assume, be marketed to children. Is the daughter of an AKA allowed to wear the shirt even though the child did not pledge and is not a member?

They usually specify. For kids, I’ve seen “Future (insert GLO), or my mom or my dad is a (insert GLO). That’s the first time I’ve seen a shirt designed for a kid without specifying. I’m a teacher myself (6th graders), and I felt the teacher was a bit out of line. You don’t take some clothes off of some parent(s) kid’s back. She should have figured a more appropriate way to handle the situation.

I’d be upset if saw anything PBS at a thrift store. I usually give my PBS items away to new members, or cut out the letters, shield, etc. frame it and hang it up somewhere in my house. Never do I just leave my letters in just anyone’s hands.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Zach

Who handed down the shirt? I’d start with that first. I know a lot of white Sigmas, so race isn’t the issue for me. It’s the person that handed down the shirt that I would have a problem with.

It's a shirt on a 7-year-old. Who cares?

[Zach]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

It's a shirt on a 7-year-old. Who cares?

I’m assuming you saw the same clip I did, so obviously the teacher cared enough to snatch the shirt off the 7 year old’s back, as if she thought she was going to an AKA party to stroll, holding one pinky up, yelling “Skee Wee!” Duh.

[carnation]

Someone who makes Greek shirts has to be giving their overload to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Awhile back, I posted about how a bunch of teachers were riding down our main street and I saw some Guatemalan guys wearing pink AKA shirts with green sewn-on letters. We were close enough to them that I could see the folds from newly-opened shirts.

I commented to the elderly AKA in the middle of the seat something like, "Hey, look at your new sisters!" and she looked and screamed, "WHAT?" and started trying to climb over me and get out of the moving car! We had to hold her down to keep her from jumping out!

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by Zach

I’m assuming you saw the same clip I did, so obviously the teacher cared enough to snatch the shirt off the 7 year old’s back, as if she thought she was going to an AKA party to stroll, holding one pinky up, yelling “Skee Wee!” Duh.

Lol!!!!

[Cheerio]

ASTalumna06, you're right. She's a kid. Who cares?

In summer 2020 (height of pandemic) I saw a 15-16 year old girl wearing a nice, clean, beautifully designed, 1991-dated IU Kite, Key and Anchor Party tshirt. She was in an ice cream parlor with several friends (no parents). I loved seeing her in the shirt, and wondered if/where she was a legacy.

Without having discussed the matter with the girl, my main takeaway was that she and her Mom must have shared some truly special, quality time that year discussing Greek Life.

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

It's a shirt on a 7-year-old. Who cares?

We care.

[*winter*]

I had a homeless client who wore a donation shirt with Greek letters (like an event tshirt) on it in a facility I worked at. She literally only owned like two shirts, so I wasn’t about to go bum-rushing over there and ripping her shirt off when she was already dealing with enough problems in her life. And anyone who would is…a word that’s probably not very polite to use on a forum.

[Cookiez17]

I had told Greeks to never give their old gear to shops like goodwill, as it could end up in the hands of a non member. Most organizations have t shirt swaps where you can sell old or unwanted gear, or you can try to give them to another member.

[Cookiez17]

I did see some Chi Omega crafts at my local Salvation army, but I naturally didn't pick it up.

On the other end, what are the chances a Greek pops into a thrift shop, finds a shirt from their org, and buys it?