Video: High School T-Shirt Stirs Controversy

NBC News Channel
Published: October 13, 2008

A T-Shirt depicting one high school mascot beheading another is stirring up controversy ahead of the rivalry football game between Austin’s LBJ and Reagan High Schools.

The theme for the shirts is “Death comes for everyone.“

The front of the shirt reads “LBJ vs. Reagan October 31,2008.“

The back of the shirt shows the LBJ panther mascot dressed as the grim reaper, holding a bloody scythe and the severed head of the Reagan Raider mascot.

The Raider is also surrounded by a pool of blood.

“If it wasn’t on Halloween night, we wouldn’t even have thought of anything like this,“ said LBJ principal Patrick Patterson. “But since it was, we did.“

LBJ Principal Patterson approved the design as a fundraiser for the school’s Science Olympiad team and says the cartoon nature of the design negates any violent message it might promote.

“We meant no harm to anyone,“ said Patterson. “We didn’t mean to offend anybody, but this is a heated rivalry between LBJ and Reagan and the people in that rivalry, I would think, would understand it.“

Some argue the shirt promotes violence and sends the wrong message to students.

“My kid would not wear that shirt,“ said parent Briant Freeman. “Showing a T-Shirt that cuts off something’s head- that goes a little farther than just fun.“

Other parents agree with Patterson and say the Halloween-theme is not inappropriate.

“We don’t want to encourage it (violence), but this is a T-Shirt that is supposed to be for Halloween,“ said parent Susan Crites.

Principal Patterson has decided to remove the slogan, “death comes for everyone” from the shirt.

He adds the school pre-sold 220 shirts in just two weeks and plans to hand them out before the Halloween game.

“Maybe it does push the line,“ said Patterson. “And if it did go over the line, I apologize, but we were just trying to have a little fun with the Halloween theme.“