Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Student in Ohio Says Headdress Led to Ouster from Game

Student in Ohio Says Headdress Led to Ouster from Game: OXFORD, Ohio – A student at Miami University of Ohio says an American Indian headdress he wore to show school spirit got him thrown out of a home football game.

Victor Kopen, a senior at the southwest Ohio university, said he was not at the Oct. 23 game “to make a political statement of any kind, just to support the football team,” Cincinnati's WCPO-TV reported.

University trustees, citing respect for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, voted to drop the name Redskins as its athletic nickname in 1996 after the tribe approved a resolution saying it could no longer support use of the nickname. Trustees adopted the RedHawks name the following year.

Although the university does not have a written policy addressing American Indian attire, it is discouraged by staff at athletic events, university spokeswoman Claire Wagner said.