Symbol banned at schools

SIMI VALLEY — Clothing and jewelry depicting an Iron Cross, a symbol of Nazi Germany that has recently become a popular design with skateboard and clothing manufacturers, has been banned at Simi Valley schools.

About 13,000 letters were mailed to parents Friday informing them of the Simi Valley Unified School District’s decision to ban the symbol officials say is being used by believers of the “white power/white pride” movement to identify themselves.

School officials said the ban was recommended by the Police Department, which considers the Iron Cross a gang symbol. The district dress code specifies “no article of clothing related to a group or gang which may provoke others to acts of violence shall be worn on campus.”

School officials said the step was aimed at capping any rising tensions on campuses.

“We decided to take action because of different rumors circulating at the schools and city that there might be potential problems,” said Don Gaudioso, director of secondary education for the Simi Valley Unified School District.

The Iron Cross has become popular with skateboard and clothing manufacturers, such as No Fear and West Coast Choppers.

According to Gaudioso, a couple of dozen students have been wearing the symbol in Simi Valley and Royal high schools. At Santa Susana High School, he said, the number is considerably less.

This isn’t the first time that Simi Valley high schools have been sites of white supremacist activity. Years ago, students’ lockers were stuffed with literature endorsing white power, said board member Carla Kurachi.

Read Another Article

FBI watching supremacist fliers in Gilbert
Notes, comments, and links

Related News Articles Topic(s): Hate Groups Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Hate Groups Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog