Mall of America security threatened to kick out a mall goer over a shirt he was wearing which contained a positive Christian message on it.
In a viral video posted to Twitter, a mall cop confronted a man who was wearing a yellow shirt with the words “Jesus Saves” on the front and “Jesus is the only way” and a crossed-out Coexist symbol on the back.
The security guard told the man he had to either leave the mall or take his shirt off because “Jesus is associated with religion and it’s offending people.”
“Jesus is associated with religion and it’s offending people. You can take your shirt off and you can go to Macy’s and you can do your shopping — or you could leave the mall. Those are your only options right now,” the mall cop explained.
“If you want to shop here you need to take that shirt off,” he added, raising his voice at the man.
WATCH:
I automatically assumed this was overseas, but it's right here in America. pic.twitter.com/Q79eUCG7xh [1]
— John Mason (@LivingGodsTruth) January 12, 2023 [2]
Despite denying he was soliciting anyone or harassing mall-goers, a Mall of America spokesperson said the man was issued a 24-hour trespass for soliciting guests a week before the Jan. 7 video was filmed.
The mall’s policies bar patrons from wearing “inappropriate attire” which includes clothing that has “racial/religious/ethnic slurs that are likely to create a disturbance.”
Additionally, mall policy does not allow “picketing, demonstrating, soliciting, protesting or petitioning.”
“The man was asked on a different day to leave the mall because he was preaching. This time, however, he appears to have just walking around the mall,” the Daily Mail [3] reported.
It was reported the man ultimately did not have to leave, and was able to continue shopping while wearing his shirt.
Pastor Chase Thompson criticized [4] the mall’s handling of the situation and encouraged the man to take legal action over the incident. “He should sue them into oblivion. This wouldn’t have happened anywhere in the US until very recently, and it certainly wouldn’t have happened if he’d had a pride shirt on and even 50 people complained.”