Eleven days after a fan was seen at a Wisconsin football game with an Obama mask and a noose, the Badgers’ athletics department is making some changes to what fans are allowed to bring into their Camp Randall stadium.
The school announced Wednesday that it has changed its policies regarding fan behavior following the incident that took place during the Wisconsin-Nebraska football game on Oct. 29. This comes after heat was put on the school from a number of different angles.
Here is what the fan wore for those who need a refresher.
At the @UWBadgers game and there is a man with a mask of President Obama and a noose. This is racism, why was this allowed into the stadium? pic.twitter.com/zKEqhdDYny
— Ka(n)ti(fa)e (@woahohkatie) October 29, 2016
The school has since responded in a number of different ways. The most significant changes came Wednesday:
With help from leaders in our community, we are happy to announce some changes. Still more work to do: https://t.co/VWXafJzWo8 https://t.co/ms94bcKTOH
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) November 10, 2016
Here’s exactly what the press release had to say regarding venue policy.
CHANGES TO FAN BEHAVIOR, CARRY-IN AND TICKET POLICIES
Effective immediately, the following changes are made to existing policies:
1. Items prohibited from our facilities include nooses and ropes because they are weapons and they constitute a threat to safety, as do replicas of weapons.
2. Any person who engages in violent, threatening, abusive or otherwise disorderly conduct which tends to provoke a disturbance or incite violence will be ejected from our events. Threats include statements, actions and behaviors that could reasonably be foreseen as having a purpose to inflict physical harm, even if the person making the threat doesn’t have the ability to carry out the threat. Disorderly conduct does not require that a disruption actually occur.
3. The University of Wisconsin and the Big Ten Conference promote good sportsmanship, appropriate fan behavior and a welcoming atmosphere for all fans at all athletic events sponsored by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. Racist and other offensive behavior is not appropriate for our venues.
4. Any spectator carrying a prohibited item may be refused admittance or may be ejected from the venue.
Before the athletics department could announce any changes, however, the incident drew substantial backlash, including from Badgers basketball standout Nigel Hayes. Hayes let his feelings be known via Twitter on Monday.
As a student, I demand change from @UWMadison. pic.twitter.com/NZEaqBeevP
— Nigel Hayes-Davis (@NIGEL_HAYES) November 8, 2016
While the changes are a step in the right direction, Hayes is on the right path when it comes to changing the culture on college campuses. There are plenty of people like Hayes standing up for justice. But for as many as guys like Hayes as there are, there are also morons who decide to bring presidential masks and nooses to football games.
