The Mall of America has released a statement about the incident, which involved a man wearing a shirt with the words “Jesus Saves” written on it.
The video showing the conversation between the person and the security guard went viral as many reports claimed that he was thrown out of the mall.
However, the Bloomington, Minnesota, mall has clarified that this is not true, and the customer was allowed to stay in the same shirt despite being confronted.
Mall of America Responds to ‘Jesus Saves’ Shirt Incident
In a statement issued to KARE 11, the Mall of America confirmed that the man in the video was issued a “temporary violation notice for solicitation” but was ultimately allowed to remain inside the mall and was not “required” to remove his shirt . .
“The guest referenced in the video was approached by Mall of America security on January 7, 2023.
“A week prior, he was issued a 24-hour violation for soliciting patrons. After a brief interaction, the patron was not required to change his shirt and was allowed to remain in the mall,” the statement said.
The man in the video has not commented on the temporary violation notice at the time of writing.
What the video shows
The video in question has received millions of views and has been shared thousands of times across social media platforms.
It features a conversation between a man wearing a yellow shirt with the words “Jesus Saves” written on the front and “Jesus is the only way” on the back. It also has the word “coexist” crossed out, according to The New York Post.
The security guard can be heard saying, as quoted by The Daily Mail: “I’ll give you a couple of options. You can take the shirt off and you can go to Macy’s and you can do your shopping. Or you can leave the mall, okay? It’s your only options right now.’
It was after the man said: “However, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t speak. I did not say anything. I just went to Macy’s.”
The security guard then says: “It is a religious call. There is no solicitation allowed on mall property, which is private property.”
Mall Security Policies
The security policies listed under the Mall of America website say “solicitation” is prohibited. It falls under any behavior that is disorderly or disruptive or may disturb or endanger guests or the establishment.
The mall prohibits “Loitering, engaging in solicitation, blocking storefronts, aisles, skyways, fire exits or escalators or walking in groups” along with “picketing, demonstrating, soliciting, protesting or petitioning”.
Meanwhile, the clothing or attire guidelines state that customers must adhere to “appropriate attire”, including “shirts and shoes”.
It restricts dress, which may include, but is not limited to:
- Clothing with obscene language, obscene gestures or racial/religious/ethnic slurs likely to cause disruption.
- Clothing that deliberately hides the face, such as hoodies or masks.
- Bulletproof vests or simulated bulletproof vests.
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