T.J. Maxx Pulls 'Hang Loose' Noose T-shirt

"As soon as we became aware of the offensive T-shirt message, we initiated the process to remove this item from our stores and are internally reviewing how we inadvertently purchased the item," T.J. Maxx said in a statement to USA Today. "We would like to apologize to our customers for any concern this may have caused."

Tavik, a beachwear company based in Irvine, Calif., also apologized on Twitter and in a statement to USA Today.

"We sincerely apologize for any offense caused by this T-shirt," Tavik said in the statement. "This item was released without going through proper protocols and is not related to anything other than surfing. We are pulling this item from retailers immediately,"

We are deeply sorry to anyone who may have been offended. The shirt is being pulled from stores immediately.

— TAVIK (@tavik) March 17, 2015