A cancer patient was brought to tears when she was thrown out of a courtroom Friday for refusing to remove her hat.

District Court judge Holly Hollenbeck told Bev Williams, 43, to remove the knitted beanie she was wearing, or exit his court in the Benton County Justice Center.

Williams, who had gone through six months of chemotherapy, explained that she had always worn her hat in public to cover up her hairless head.

"I was embarrassed. It made me cry," Williams told the Seattle Times.

Hollenbeck had reportedly asked several people in the courtroom to remove their hats, and all complied except Williams.

Explaining that each judge has a different set of rules regarding hats, Hollenbeck said that he asks everybody to remove hats. He continued that the only time he allowed a hat to be worn in his courtroom was for religious reasons.

Williams said that Hollenbeck would have allowed her to keep her hat on, if he knew the reason why she wore it.

"I am very understanding with people who battle cancer," Hollenbeck said. "My own mother died from cancer."

"I've had hundreds of cancer victims come through my court," he said, as quoted by the UPI "and I've never had one not remove their hat, ever."

He explained that refusal to do so showed "contempt for the court and for the judge."

Williams, who was in court to show support of her daughter who was facing a misdemeanor charge, described Hollenbeck's actions as "rude and uncalled for."