Ontario School Issues ‘Halloween Costume Protocol’ Banning Caitlyn Jenner Costumes, Indian Headdresses, And More

In a move to provide students a “safe space” this coming Halloween, a school in Ontario, Canada has rolled out a “costume protocol” banning several outfits. Some of the Halloween costumes included in the list are Caitlyn Jenner outfits, Japanese geisha dresses, Arab turbans, “black” faces, and Indian headdresses.

Brock University even set up a special “Halloween Costume Vetting Protocol” website that details the outfits that are not allowed. The school maintains that its aim is to maintain a “climate that prevents costumes reinforcing harmful stereotypes around race, gender, culture, and mental health.” The campus further states that they have introduced the protocol not to restrict students, but to encourage them to be sensitive to other people’s beliefs.

“The Halloween Costume Vetting Protocol is a way of communicating to students on what is not acceptable, encourage students to be mindful of their costume choices and prevent offensive representations of our friends, family members and co-workers from permeating our spaces in an oppressive and offensive way. Vetting Halloween costumes isn’t a matter of telling people what to wear. It’s a matter of paying respect to the stories and experiences of marginalized groups who are depicted in these costumes: their culture, history and lives should never be desecrated, but understood and celebrated. BUSU stands in solidarity by prioritizing that cultures are not costumes.”

Caitlyn Jenner #Halloween Costume – Funny or…?
Voting: https://t.co/b1RDKeZzXi#SaeptaVote #HappyHalloween pic.twitter.com/TN3im0aZij

— saepta (@saeptavote) October 31, 2015

For those whose Halloween costumes will be deemed offensive, they can still attend the party. Staff members will escort them to a space where they are given a chance to get rid of the offending item. Once the costume has been removed, they may already enter the venue. To help its students think of Halloween costumes, Brock University has included an infographic on the site.

A Connecticut school likewise banned clown costumes and any other “symbols of terror” in the upcoming Halloween celebration of its students. The ban was issued in light of the recent clown-related social media posts that have surfaced. According to the officials of New Haven Public School, the ban will remain while an investigation about the so-called clown incidents is still ongoing. Authorities are watching an Instagram account that shared four photos of a creepy clown captioned with warnings that they would visit several schools in the district.

Several schools in Naugatuck have also added security following the threats. While the authorities do not believe that the threats are credible, the schools want to ensure the safety of their students. With reports of clowns “terrorizing” individuals in different parts of the U.S., the Montclair Public Schools in New Jersey are working harder than before to uphold school safety.

Interim superintendent Ron Bolandi said in a letter that they’re being “diligent and proactive” when it comes to dealing with the menacing clown issue. Bolandi asked parents not to allow their children to wear clown costumes not just in Halloween celebrations but in other school events as well to avoid disrupting or terrifying other students. He is firm when he said that anyone who shows up clad in a clown costume would be sent home.

Bolandi similarly advised parents to talk to their children who might think that clown pranks are funny.

“We ask that you please talk to your children about the danger of copycat behavior. Recently in New Jersey incidents of social media threats by students alleging their actions were ‘just a prank,’ have led to their arrests for cyber harassment and terroristic threats. Any threatening email or post on social media will be investigated by the police, and the person responsible risks legal consequences, regardless if the intent was harmless, a hoax, or copycat in nature.”

The “creepy clown trend” has been sweeping the country. Clown are no longer considered jovial folks because pranksters continue to prey on innocent individuals. It isn’t known where the clown craze came from and while some thought that it was merely a marketing ploy for the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s novel, It, the novelist dismissed the speculations.

Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria–most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 3, 2016

What are your thoughts on the Halloween costume ban that schools are implementing? Do you think they should give students the freedom to wear whatever costumes they wish?

[Featured Image by Thinkstock]