Sidwell Friends School, the fancy Washington, D.C. educational enclave for political royalty, has decided to ban students from wearing Washington Redskins apparel on campus.
Head of school Bryan Garman announced the change in a year-end letter, explaining that the Sidwell administration “fully supports” a student government resolution passed in April. The resolution stated that the Redskins name and logo was a “racial slur” that should be banned because of the dress code’s prohibition on items that “conflict with the school’s values,” and because of the need to create a “safe space for all students and encourage growth.”
The resolution further argued that the school’s “Quaker Values” compelled the Sidwell community to “amplify the voices of the Native American community.”
According to a Washington Post poll released last month, just 9 percent of Native Americans are offended by the Washington Redskins name.
