School tells students, staff they cannot wear one NFL team's attire because it's 'offensive

A Maryland private elementary school has banned its students and staff members from wearing any piece of clothing donning the Washington Redskins logo.

Green Acres School in Bethesda, Maryland, sent a letter home to parents last month explaining that there will be no Redskins apparel allowed on campus because it could be offensive to others.

"[T]he term ‘Redskin’ is a racial slur. Its use, whether intentional or not, can be deeply insulting and offensive," the letter read, according to USA Today.

"We certainly don’t want to vilify anyone who comes to school in violation of this,” said the school's headmaster, Neal Brown. “Ultimately, most kids won’t wear that kind of clothing because they understand why it is upsetting to some people.”

Brown said a third-grade Native American student raised the issue last year when the class was studying the history of Native Americans. He went on to insist that the football team's name is demeaning to an entire group of people.

"Similarly, the team’s logo also can reasonably be viewed as racially demeaning. At best, the image is an ethnic stereotype that promotes cultural misunderstanding; at worst, it is intensely derogatory," he wrote.

Brown explained that the new rule already ties in with current dress code protocol.

"The kids are supposed to wear clothing that is respectful and also not in any way offensive," he said, adding that the school has a social responsibility to maintain inclusion and respect of all students. The school has about 250 students from pre-K through eighth grade.

Brown said the feedback he has received from staff members and parents so far has been positive, but a Washington Post poll last year found that 9 out of 10 Native Americans said they were not offended by the team's name.

(h/t: College Fix)