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Another possibility: even if the gate workers did see the shirt before boarding, they may not feel they have enough lattitude to deny boarding if it's a grey area. It could easily have taken time for the situation to filter up the chain, a couple complaints are heard, and by the time the captain found out and made a judgement, they were airborne. If this is the case, I'm sure they'll want to compensate the woman for that leg and provide better training for these situations.
Tshirt slipped, riiiight. They did try to work with her but it sounds like one or both sides had chips on their shoulders. That would have been the time for the policies & procedures manual. Let her know what will happen, then follow through.
About the apparent change in policy, it's unfortunate, but also quite possible the problem didn't arise until they were under way. When I fly my jacket/sweatshirt is usually worn and only comes off once I get to my seat. Nobody would see whatever nonsense I advertise until I'm stuffing the overhead bin or belting up, and if someone hates Adobe or whatever random tech tradeshow tshirt I'm wearing the complaints would take a while to flow.
Now, if I were wearing a VBASIC shirt or something, it would be nice if they slowed to 55, but the right thing would be to eject me at 35K feet. With any luck I'd hit other VBASIC users.
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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195
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