It would be funny to see if clown costumes are banned next year, or how many years it takes for clown costumes to be accepted again for Halloween.
Our local school district (Torrance, California) banned clown costumes this year. I can’t find a link, as they just revamped their website.
[QUOTE=Press Release emailed to parents]
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As many of you already know, in the past several weeks, there has been increased reports of individuals dressing up as clowns and creating disturbances nationwide. Many of these incidents have occurred in and around public areas, including parks and schools. There is heightened anxiety and fear over clown sightings due to several incidents being reported of a disturbing nature.
Though nothing has been reported in our District, in light of these recent reports, clown costumes WILL NOT BE ALLOWED at any TUSD school site during the Halloween season. This rule ensures everyone (students, staff, and parents) is able to fully enjoy the holiday festivities.
Additionally, this allows us to easily identify any individual attempting to come on to our campuses to create an unsafe environment. Staff, security, and law enforcement, will be able to quickly identify anyone in a clown costume, and immediately know they do not belong. Such individuals will be dealt with accordingly.
[/QUOTE]
The district has always had the toy weapons ban. My son’s kindergarten teacher explained it to me as “I don’t care about violent imagery. I just don’t want to deal with a couple dozen Jedis pumped up on sugar clonking each other with plastic tubes”
My high school used to allow Halloween costumes. (This was in the 80’s.) One year, a guy dressed as a pregnant nun. One of the counselors was a former nun. She complained, and all costumes were banned after that.
Good thing my firm didn’t ban clown costumes. My boss’s costume is “Obi Clown Kenobi”, and he’s going about as a combination Jedi/Evil Clown.
I don’t think his wife will let him wear it to his daughters’ school event this afternoon, though.
High schools sometimes have issues with “sexy” costumes. Best to stick to the dress code.
(My daughter went as Marilyn Monroe from the Seven Year Itch in that halter dress - which breaks dress code - even though I modified the dress a bit. So she went as Marilyn Monroe from the Seven Year Itch Between Takes - and had a coat over it.)
Evidently, even former GWAR musicians are not exempt fromlosing their jobs over blackface Halloween costumes.