After clicking the item, the custom class is removed (the color of the item text is changed) <!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head id="Head1" runat="server"> <style> .TopToolbarAlert, .TopToolbarAlert:link, .TopToolbarAlert:visited, .TopToolbarAlert:hover, .TopToolbarAlert:focus, .TopToolbarAlert:active { /*background-color: red;*/ color: red !important; } </style> </head> <body> <form id="form1" runat="server"> <telerik:RadScriptManager ID="RadScriptManager1" runat="server" /> <div> <telerik:RadMenu runat="server" ID="toolBarMenu"> <Items> <telerik:RadMenuItem ID="toolbarAlerts" runat="server" Text="Alerts" /> </Items> </telerik:RadMenu> </div> </form> </body> <script type="text/javascript"> $telerik.$(document).ready(function () { $telerik.$("#toolbarAlerts").addClass("TopToolbarAlert"); }); </script> </html>