The student who claims he was humiliated by his teacher for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey to class has not attended school since his story made national headlines and will most likely stay home for the rest of this week, his lawyer said yesterday.

Attorney Nicholas Frisk III said his client, Joshua Vannoy, 17, has received "nasty" telephone threats from classmates at Beaver Falls High School who disapprove of him complaining about his treatment last week by John Kelly, a popular teacher and diehard Steelers fan. Joshua wore the shirt two days before the Steelers and Broncos competed for the AFC championship.

"We want to make sure there is no retribution," said Mr. Frisk. "Our No. 1 concern is getting him back to school as quickly as possible and making sure he's in a safe environment."

Mr. Frisk said he's scheduled to meet with school officials tomorrow to make the necessary arrangements for Joshua to return to class next week.

School Superintendent Donna Nugent and school Principal Thomas Karczewski did not return calls from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tuesday and yesterday.

Joshua, a self-described honor student, became the focus of radio and television talk shows across the country this week when he told reporters that Mr. Kelly punished and ridiculed him for wearing a John Elway No. 7 jersey to class.

While school officials have not yet provided any details, Joshua said Mr. Kelly forced him to sit on the floor while taking a midterm examination, arranged all the desks in a circle around him and offered his classmates extra points on their tests for pelting Joshua with balled-up wads of notebook paper.

When a reporter questioned Mr. Kelly about the incident on Monday, he replied: "We won the game [Sunday] night, didn't we? That's all I was worried about."

Mr. Karczewski, the first person Joshua complained to, said what happened was "intended as a joke" and that it was "getting out of hand."

Dr. Nugent, whose office lobby contains a Christmas tree draped with Terrible Towels and crowned with a Steelers helmet, said Monday she's taking the matter seriously.

Comments posted on an online alumni forum for Beaver Falls High School are largely in support of Mr. Kelly, who many former students describe as a favorite teacher who shaped their minds and molded their character.