Elementary School Bans Houston Outlaws Jersey, Says It Promotes Violence
It seems the Kansas education system may have taken what President Trump and other politicians have been saying about video games causing mass shootings too seriously. A school in the state banned a student from wearing a Houston Outlaws Overwatch League jersey to school.
According to a Facebook post from the mother, shared via Dexerto, the boy had been informed he couldn’t wear the jersey due to the guns making up the team logo. He tried to bring it in again for a spirit weekday, where students were encouraged to wear their favorite team’s jersey to class.
According to the mother, the boy was in tears after being forced to flip the shirt inside-out and being sent home with a note explaining the situation to his parents.
While she understood where the school was coming from, she expressed her frustration that something as well-known as an Overwatch League team could have their uniform banned on campus, telling Dexerto,
“This is a recognized sport (that airs on) Disney and ESPN. I understand why they took the action on a technical point, but come on, it’s a professional esports team you can literally watch on the Disney channel.”
The school has yet to comment on the matter, though given how schools in the US have reacted to gun paraphernalia in the past, it’s highly unlikely they’ll change their minds on the matter.
Change of the Logo?
While the Houston Outlaws have a very stylish and iconic logo, being banned from school campuses and associated with firearms is something a fledgling org doesn’t want.
While a one-off event isn’t likely to truly impact the team, the incident could prove disastrous PR for the org. It wouldn’t surprise us to see the team have an alternate icon ready to go just in case.
I think it’s a very creative logo, and truly represents Texas at its core. But, given the political and social controversy surrounding guns in this country, it’s no surprise there aren’t any professional teams in sports or esports that utilize firearms in their branding/marketing.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as the story develops.
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