American Indian headdress gets student booted from game

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — A student at Ohio’s Miami University says an American Indian headdress he wore to show school spirit got him thrown out of a home football game.

The southwest Ohio school adopted the RedHawks team name 13 years ago, a year after it dropped the name Redskins. The old logo, however, is still on shirts and hats sold at campus bookstores.

Miami senior Victor Kopen says ushers asked him to remove his headdress three times during the Oct. 23 game against Ohio University and then asked him to leave. Cincinnati’s WCPO-TV reports Kopen says he only meant to show support for the team and Miami’s rich athletic tradition.

Miami spokeswoman Claire Wagner says university policy is that any use of a Native American imagery must be done with respect and dignity.