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Offensive costume leads to University of Wisconsin revising venue policy

Offensive costume leads to University of Wisconsin revising venue policy

The University of Wisconsin in the US has revised its policy on items allowed into its venues after a fan wore an offensive costume to a football game.

On October 29, when the Wisconsin Badgers faced off against Nebraska at Camp Randall Stadium, a fan wore what appeared to be a mask of US President Barack Obama with a noose around its neck.

The fan was asked by security to remove the mask but a photo taken later in the game then emerged with him still wearing the noose.

In light of the incident, the university has announced that nooses and ropes will now be prohibited in its athletics facilities and will be treated as “weapons that constitute a threat to safety”. The ban stretches to replicas of weapons.

The changes were made following “productive meetings” between university staff and community leaders.

“This policy change is an important step in ensuring that our sporting events are free from offensive conduct that has the potential to create a disturbance,” university chancellor Rebecca Blank said. “I have asked the Office of Legal Affairs to work closely with the Division of Athletics in the next several weeks to review facilities use and other policies to clarify conduct rules at all of our sports facilities. We fully intend to include campus and community stakeholders in that process as well.”

The university’s statement added that any person who engages in “violent, threatening, abusive or otherwise disorderly conduct which tends to provoke a disturbance or incite violence” would be ejected from future events.

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