Samantha Pawlucy, a 16-year-old student at Charles Carroll High School in Philadelphia, was ridiculed in front of her geometry class by teacher Lynette Gaymon for wearing a t-shirt expressing support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Pawlucy told a radio station that Gaymon likened the shirt to KKK garb and insisted that “this is a Democratic school.” Due in part to widespread outrage from conservatives—including Romney, who called Pawlucy on Wednesday to thank her for courage—Gaymon was switched to a different class.

[School District Communications Chief Fernando] Gallard affirmed the student’s right to wear the shirt, and said the district was supporting her “absolutely, from day one.”

“We provided support, we told [the Pawlucy family] that we were going to investigate, we removed the teacher from the classroom where the student was attending, and we have been in constant contact to provide for [Pawlucy’s] support,” he said.

District Superintendent Dr. William Hite released a statement of support for both the student and the teacher.

Read more from this story HERE.