QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens high school sophomore who self identifies as bisexual, was sent home Tuesday, after school administrators deemed that the “I enjoy vagina” T-shirt she was wearing was a distraction.
Brianna Demato, 15, said she was hauled into an assistant principal’s office after a dean spotted the message on her shirt during a lunch period. She was given a choice: Change the shirt or go home.
Brianna Demato (left), with her mother Cathy.
via: New York Daily News
Demato said she refused to submit to school officials’ demands that she change out of the shirt, citing her first amendment rights to free speech were being violated.
According to Demato, she has worn the “Enjoy Coke” styled T-shirt to Newtown High School in Queens, where she is enrolled, at least a dozen times previously. “They use the word in class — why can’t I, on a shirt?” she told the New York Daily News.
She refused to change, so a dean called her mother — but Brianna’s mom, Cathy Demato, took her daughter’s side. She rushed to school to defend her child — and make a point.
“They’re discriminating against Brianna. They pulled her out of class for nothing,” seethed Demato, 39. “She’s not hurting anyone. It’s her right to wear that shirt.”
Demato told administrators her daughter’s vagina shirt should stay — but they disagreed. The irate mom said a dean called school safety agents to escort them off campus. Later, school officials told Demato that if she gave her daughter a different shirt, the girl would be allowed to return to class.
Cathy Demato vowed she’s not going to back down.
“[Wednesday] she’s wearing a shirt that says ‘I’m the B—h From Down the Block,’” her mother said. “The message is, she can wear whatever she wants.”
While Newtown High Principal John Ficalora declined to comment, a spokesperson for New York City Schools, Margie Feinberg said that school officials have the authority to keep the girl out of class for as long as they want, if they disagree with her outfit.
“The language on the shirt was likely to cause disruption and the language is inappropriate for school,” said Feinberg.
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It’s in appropriate period!
Yeah, she shouldn’t be wearing this to school. It’s not about being gay, it’s not school appropriate.
Stand up for what you believe in
Come on, now ….
well..yeah
I agree with Ronn. That shirt was very inappropriate for school!
Seriously! This is an offensive shirt in general. That is just tacky to wear a shirt like that to school. It has nothing to do with your sexual orientation and everything to do with common sense. No wonder straight people think we’re so sexualized, with dumb people pulling stunts like that. Gives us a bad image.
Ronn, I agree. It is not a shirt to be worn in school.
She should’ve been sent home… how idiotic can someone really be?
Expressing sexuality/pride is one thing, but being inappropriate in that setting is not the way to do it.
To be fair, if a guy were wearing the shirt he would have had to change too, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.
I love that too.. but at the same time, completely inappropriate and most likely against most if not all school policies.
that IS pretty inappropriate for high school
good. its not spring break. its a school. dress like a mentaly sane person on stay home.
Even if the wearer were a white, heterosexual protestant male (and the shirt read either penis or vagina), the item is vulgar.
This isn’t an appropriate shirt to wear to school. It’s good she was sent home. As I would expect a straight girl to be sent home wearing a shirt “I love dicks”
Really? Why should this be an outrage? If this was a heterosexual female student that wore “I enjoy dick”, then this wouldn’t be a news story. I love how her and her mother play the “homophobic” card. Bottom line, it was inappropriate to wear at SCHOOL.
Anyone would have been sent home for wearing that T-shirt-I don’t believe for a second it was because of his orientation! The shirt is disgusting, vulgar and offensive!
This is stupid. She should have changed her shirt. They aren’t infringing on her rights. She violated a dress code. It’s nothing to do with the fact that it’s promoting homosexuality or anything. It’s that it’s inappropriate for school. Get over it.
Completely inappropriate no matter who wears it. Nothing to do with expressing your sexuality here. Just to do with being rude and inappropriate.
SOrry, it has NOTHING to do with your first amendment rights, and everything to do with following a dress code at school. In this case, I agree with the school… Honey Boo Boo needs a time out
Im not a prude, but this is not something to be worn at school.
My son who is n the fourth grade had to change his shit that said ” Hello I’m sexy and I know it”
Kid shouldn’t have been wearing this shirt to high school. I would say the same if it was a male wearing it, or a female wearing a “I heart penis” shirt. No Go. Lets choose our battles and use some common sense, people.
Pretty crazy that her own mother didn’t think it was common sense that it was an inappropriate shirt to wear to school. I hope she has learned her lesson. But something tells me she hasn’t. I would like to watch lawyers laugh in her face if she tried to bring this up as a lawsuit. lol
Ok… I’m totally for equal rights and stand for them on a daily basis… but this is retarded. of course she got sent home. I would’ve gotten sent home if i wore an “I love vagina” shirt. Come on page… please dont lower yourself to stupidity. She should’ve known better… and wearing that shirt period shows a complete lack of upbringing.
I apologize: I said “he” and it’s a female! And the point is: She cannot wear just anything she wants! There is something called “being appropriate”, “being respectful”! This is just one of those ploys to get media attention and to draw attention to something ridiculuos!
Not appropriate for school, funny but I wouldn’t wear it and have easily been offended by people wearing “shocker” tshirts…respect yourself by respecting others! Free speech is fine but I am not paying taxes for kids to go to school and be distracted by an offensive tshirt, I am paying taxes for them to learn…turn the shirt inside out and go read a book!
Um it says Vagina on it. It’s high school not pornhub.
Having that shirt in the first place is disgusting. Only shows that you’re a pervert.
Honestly, I have no problem with someone wearing I love vag. on a T-shirt. Be that as it may, majority of school would say that violates the dress code given so if anything, the shirt should of been removed but not sent home. The only way I can see them sending her home is she refused to remove it or could not take it off for whatever reason. Regardless, this news was designed to be over hyped.
well this probobly wasnt homophobic in anyway just innapropriate for school. its like me wlaking aorund earing a shirt that says i enjoy anal sex
Classy girl…
I am sure if a boy wore it to school he somehow would be charged with sexual intimidation. What idiot would think a sexual shirt is ok for school. Because of her, there will be a uniform in place by next year!
Why is this news? The shirt was inappropriate in a school setting. Change the damn shirt and get back to class. Not everything needs to be a news-worthy issue.
Yeah, not an appropriate shirt to wear to school, no matter your sexual orientation. Somehow I am not surprised the Mom is wearing a shirt with the B word on it.
that t shirt is inapproporate for school age children
Did yall read the story? The mom said her daughter was going to wear a shirt this week that says ‘bitch’ just to show she can wear whatever she wants. This is nothing more than a teen acting out in a stupid way because her mother is an unfit parent
Inappropriate shirt – I would have sent her home too.
You have no right of free speech in school.
my shcool has the same rules no profound images or context
If a boy had worn this shirt he would have gotten the same choices. I’m 15 and I know that this isn’t something to be worn in the class room. I usually butt heads with administrators over clothing choices, but this really isn’t appropriate. Don’t make mountains out of mole hills, either. Her mom should know better than to “fight back” it’s not really a big deal. Take your punishment, go home and maybe learn something. Ridiculous.
I would have sent her home too. If the shirt would have said I Love Girls, then maybe there wouldn’t be an issue. True it should have been dealt with the first time the school seen it but who allows their children to run around with shirts saying I love dick or I love vagina.
The shirt was the object of content based discrimination. There is a difference between something that may be inappropriate, and something that is causing a real disturbance in the surrounding environment. There is indeed, a right to speak something or display something that is inappropriate. Let’s not let this content based restriction stand!
Her mom thinks they are going to get a settlement. Dumb woman.
Patrick, she did refuse to change her shirt. And anyone with common sense wouldn’t wear a shirt like that to school in the first place. I don’t care if this was a straight boy wearing that shirt. It’s not school appropriate at all. This is dumb. These people are just attention seekers.
What where is this sue there ass !!!_
I’m not sure we can cry discrimination on this one. It is clearly in poor taste and has no place in the classroom. This has nothing to do with orientation.
I think there’s a way to make a statement properly and this wasn’t it… If my kid wanted to wear an “I love dick” shirt I would certainly weigh the pros and cons with him… pride support is amazing, but maybe we don’t have to spell out the body parts, lol.. but I appreciate her open mindedness…. :o)
There’s a line between being discriminated against and disciplining someone, she wasn’t being discriminated against at all, she should’ve used her common sense about not wearing that shirt
She needs to grow up and wear appropriate clothing to school. I have shirts that say some bawdy things. I have the common sense not to wear them on my COLLEGE campus, where all of the students are adults. She should be old enough to know that you behave in accordance to your surroundings… At least she didn’t actually play the LGBT equivalent to the a race-card.
This has nothing to do with homophobia!
Generally, amy school’s stands is to prevent a disturbance. That short would have caused a disturbance. School is not the place to make personal political statements….
Boy or girl wearing it is irrelevant, it is not appropriate for school.
I am a bisexual. I am for LGBT rights. But that shirt is not appropriate
Definitely poor taste.
omg. This girl is 15!! Why is her mom letting her wear a shirt like that in the first place?? If you dont know, you actually DONT have a right to free speech in schools. I wouldnt want to see this shirt on any boy or girl. Perhaps at the college level its not so bad, but geeze, these are YOUNG KIDS being exposed to this!! If it were a guy wearing such a nasty shirt, I doubt most of you would stand up for him. It’s simply inappropriate for school. She was given a choice. She is NOT a victim. :/
honey, just wear those i love -pictue of a cat- shirts. same point. granted tho, we shouldnt as a society care about biological words.
Now if she wanted to take a same sex partner to Prom, or was bullied for her sexual orientation, then there would be an issue. But sexual slogans on T shirts at school is never okay.
Should have never been in school in the first place they were not set home because of sexual orentation but because of inaproprate attire
It’s inappropriate; school needs to be a neutral environment and it needs to be focused on the curriculum.
Really?
1. I couldn’t wear that shirt to work and keep my job.
2. I’d be willing to bet that the mother was on standby to “race” down to the school in order to cause a scene and later file suit on grounds of infringement of her kids 1st amendment rights.
3. If I had kids and they went to this school I would be pissed.
I’m all for self expression but only in the right setting. The school did the right thing.
Sorry i would send her home too. I also don’t think a straight guy should be wearing one or a gay guy wear a shirt that says l like cock while in school.
It’s a high school… Sometimes all of us have to obey some rules… That “T Shirt” Was asking for trouble… That’s like walking into church with a “T shirt” saying Ungodly things… there are limits.. Bad taste is bad taste.
I would send the child home too, thats not an appropriate shirt for a high school student. Whether male or female. It’s distasteful.
This isn’t a bi or gay issue. This is an issue of this t-shirt being inappropriate. Period.
wth were they thinking? first of all I love vagina too & i’m bisexual & a supporter of LGBT rights…but seriously school is not the appropriate place for that tshirt. they had every right to send her home.
Inappropriate on male or female in school.
I’d send a boy home who wore that to school or work, too. Orientation doesn’t change the implications of potential sexual harrassment.
I’m all for freedom of speech and gay rights, but there is a limit. One needs to be respectful of rules.
That I get. If a girl wore a shirt about giving head it’d have the same result. She could have just worn a shirt that says I like girls.
Shouldn’t be a news story. No discrimination involved.
I don’t care what her sexual orientation is, that shirt is inappropriate for school.
You guys really should take this stupid post down. The simple fact that anyone is acting like this is an infringement of rights rather than a dumb girl getting in trouble for wearing an inappropriate shirt is sad. Anyone who acts like this is discrimination is just looking for a fight and attention.
There are other shirts she could have worn such as “Gay? Fine by me” or a rainbow shirt or something actually about pride, and had she been sent home for wearing something like that, I’d be on her side.
I think that’s an inappropriate shirt for high school. I would find an ‘I enjoy penis’ t-shirt offensive in a high school setting too. You can’t wear things like that to work and shouldn’t be able to wear them in school either.
Uff. Stay classy, sweetheart.
Yeah, is this even an issue? The shirt is inappropriate for anyone in school to wear.
she should’ve been allowed to wear this shirt at school especially when you take into consideration that school doesn’t teach you shit nowadays anyway i wouldn’t care if i was a teacher
and for real, the people who commented negatively on this need to stop being prudes there’s NOTHING wrong with being perverted we’re fucking human beings!
I wouldn’t even want to see it in public. Wear it in the bedroom with the person you intend on sleeping with. Maybe they will like it. They probably did it on purpose to try to sue the school. Of course her mom flew to the school, gotta get that money from the lawsuit. It seems just too obvious being pulled off by lamebrains.
Not appropriate for school. She should have been sent home.
@fries so what if the girl loves pussy it’s HER right to say so FUCK what anybody else thinks about it!
i have that shirt.
Perverted is fine between agreeing parties in private. Not public period. There are even things you have chosen to keep private in your own facebook profile @Robert Thompson so connect.
No such thing as free speech in high school.
There is nothing wrong with her saying it, I just don’t see why she needs to say it to me.
well….it’s a bit too much. I would make her change it too! How about some tact.
i have to keep things private because i don’t want my family to find me here besides being perverted in public is a GOOD thing it’s a perfectly human thing to do!
I also believe that the shirt is inappropriate. Reminds me of the ‘I LOVE BOOBIES’ shirts and accessories that all the kids wear. I wonder if kids are allowed to wear those ‘I LOVE BOOBIES’ shirts and belts in school?
What kind of disgusting person would wear that kind of shirt?
a teenager trying to get a reaction lol
it probably happened in my home state michigan as we had that big vagina scandal then everyone said nothing but vagina for weeks on facebook it was annoying
No Robert, if you could put the drink down long enough you’d see, how much fun it can be to hold back in public, giggling that nobody knows, and then attack once you get home. It’s a much better solution to resolve your animal urges. vs just wearing that shirt to draw attention. Which is what she wanted and she got it.
Humans can hold back so it would be more of a animal thing to do. Which shows a lower life form and a much lower iq. I don’t see dogs building cars, do you?
@fries see, you fail to realize, it’s HER body and if she bought it with HER money then she wears it WHEREVER she wants! just like, if i wanna show people who i really am, then it’s MY right to do that REGARDLESS of what others think because what OTHERS think doesn’t MATTER to me because i’m not them i’m ME and whoever doesn’t like MY opinions can fuck off cause it’s THERE problem
omg i am sorry but that shirt is not approriate for school, no offense and the fact that the mom is ok with that says something.
That shirt was in no way appropriate for school. Not for anyone.
@fries holding back is no fun where is the THRILLS in that??? it’s not my fault i believe in pushing EVERYTHING i do in life to the absolute limit!
At first I was frustrated that Alphabet Nation would even bother posting such a story that is essentially a 15 year old Honey Boo Boo… but if nothing else perhaps it will help other 15 year olds realize that freedom of speech is not universal. You can’t wear crass shirts and claim you need a cultural dispensation. Nice try, go change your shirt.
What you fail to realize is it’s my right to not see, discuss or know anything about her body. A right which is taken from me when she wears a shirt like that. Know your place om the food chain please.
@fries well i’m a man you’re just too easily offended that’s all grow some balls man
Do you wear clothes Robert?
@fries you should be ASHAMED that a motherfucking 15 year old girl has more balls than you do!
Answe the question please
@fries YES i wear clothes and like this 15 year old girl, some of it DOES offend people [due to a few of my shirts being anti-christian but who gives a fuck?]
Ok, good. You know how to draw a line. Congratulations. There is a whole other rewarding life just begging to make its way into yours. If you ever want to have MORE. Trying jumping on less because your missing some things. I have spent as much time on you as I am going to so have a good night and a good life.
Inappropriate shirt. This doesn’t have anything to do with the LGBTQI Community, besides that she is bi. In no way does this deserve headlines. She is old enough to know that the shirt isn’t for school, and deserves to be sent home for not changing her shirt; end of story.
A straight girl with an I like Penis shirt would also be sent home. I am bisexual and would never wear a shirt like that.
I take it back Robert. I am compelled to say 1 last thing concerning the anti-christian shirts you say you wear. Jesus was not offended by the anti-christians that whipped, beat, spit on, ripped his skin off, nailed him to a cross, and altimately killed him. Because he knew what would happen if he didn’t die for them and all of us. They would go to a place that was not ment for them and it is indescribable the things that happen there. Just look at the news some time and see how people are murdered and tortured on earth. And thats just here on earth. I could give some descriptions but its not pretty. So I just want to say that I am sorry for the way people have treated you over things you have worn and what they might have said on them. You are entitled to your opinion of Jesus and altimately only you can make the choice on wether you receive his free get out of hell free card. But these christians have not done their job right because someone should have been able to keep someone from going to a place like that no matter how much it cost them in offence. Looking past their being offended to reach out would be light compared to what the one they follow went through. Even if they didn’t talk about it directly, they could have atleast been kind to you.
If she can wear a shirt like that, so can boys and I assure you, they would not like that one bit.
School, regardless of whether or not you realize it, is a professional environment for enriching and educating our youth. In no way should anyone be wearing a shirt like this to school. I’m getting more and more comfortable with the idea of school uniforms.
I agree she should have changed her shirt. It’s a school i mean come one. Now if she were to have worn a t-shit with two girls or two boys holding hands or kissing, and they asked her to change her shirt! That’s where you fire back! That’s your freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
I’m a lesbian but I believe everyone should show each other respect.
I got into my fair share of dress code violations when I was in highschool. Mainly due to skirts (And nope, they were a good length, completely appropriate) and whatnot. But like, yeah, I’d have to draw the line here. It’s school. You have to follow the school rules. Some things are worth causing a stir over, some things are not. I wish I caused a stir with what happened to me, but I didn’t. That IMO was something worth fighting about. This is one of those things that is not. It’s not exercising a right to express orientation. I wouldn’t doubt the shirt was thought to be funny and the backlash caused embarrassment, which caused anger from both her and the parent. Like everyone has said. It was inappropriate for a school setting.
it wouldnt matter if it was a boy,,, that shirt doesnt belong in school,,, neither do the i love boobs braclets.
o come on im gay but i wouldnt wear something as explicit as this
Oh come on words shouldn’t be considered profane or even pictures of genitalia we need to change our sensitivities on this and other issues, censorship especially of our youth should be considered unconstitutional and Rights be given to the youngest amoung us Like “you cant say Gay” bill here in Tennessee the slippery slope argument applies to this and other issues about where does it stop once censorship is respected and manintained.
We should fight and fight hard for our Rights to Freedom of expression even on FB and other private corp. that do not respect the First Amendment.
Thats all well and good so long as everyone thinks like you. Freedom of expression has a limitation that begins when someone elses rights are infringed upon. Even you don’t think the same way all the time because of a thing called mood.
she should change her freaken shirt!!
As well she should’ve been sent home…it is totally inappropriate for school…..
I’m all for freedom of speech but no….that shirt was not meant for school…even college.
Totally inappropriate for anyone male or female. It’s called showing a little class.
inapprpriate for school…I remember when guys wore a t shrit from a concert that had a cartoon with a lady leaning over with a short skirt and was suggestive and they either had to change it wear it inside out or go home.
@Fries you dont have to see it there’s plenty of other stuff to look at. if you dont wanna see it just turn ur head. it’s out there just accept it ppl. i think the whole issue is ppl not wanting to accept the point behind the shirt. and on another note. for all u who dont approve of it. get off the page anyway cuz u obviously dont accept what she feels anyway.
I’m a lesbian and a patriot but I believe she should change her shirt! School is difficult enough for kids without picking battles over something so insignificant. Change your shirt and get back to school.
This is just dumb. If a boy would have worn that shirt they also would have been asked to change or go home. There is no discrimination here. It is inappropriate to where things like that to school. It was when I was in school.
I am gay and I am heavily for free speech but wearing a shirt that says “I like Vagina” is like wearing a shirt that says “I like Beer” or “I like Penis” or something relative to that. It ‘s called being appropriate, there is a time and place for everything and High School is definitely not the place for that, college maybe but if so it just shows your character. Plus it gives those who are against the LGBT community more ammo to say “See! This is all just about sex and publicly showing it!”
Regardless, if it was a boy they would have asked the same thing so there is discrimination or problem here.
people have to realize that you cannot get positive results when you slap others in the face with your views. Wearing a shirt like that is no different than a straight guy wearing it.
Well…to be fair, a man wearing this shirt would also be sent home most likely…
Really? That shirt was vulgar to begin with. At my school any person, regardless of gender, would be told immediately to change the shirt.
I don’t think it’s unfair. If her t-shirt had said “I love women” and she had been sent home for wearing it, now we could talk about homophobia. Now it only seems to be about decency and dress code about not wearing any clothes with sexual words.
I can’t take a side. But, also it can or could disrupt the school. So it is really hard to say. There is no wrong or rite answer about wht is being said about the shirt or wht others say about this.
Ok paul, I’ll tell you what. Why dont you come over to my house and wear that shirt and see if you dont leave with it sticking out of your ass.