New York schools ban Squid Game costumes ahead of Halloween to avoid violence

After banning the Squid Game costumes ahead of Halloween, the school administration pointed out that Netflix itself had marked the show for mature audiences with its feature of mass killings, torture, violence, nudity, suicide, smoking and scenes of a sexual nature.

Netflix's smash hit show ‘Squid Games’, which is a fictional drama from South Korea, is currently a rage over the Internet and fans plan to give it a Halloween twist with the notorious red and green jumpsuits but not the elementary schools in New York. Citing its mature content and violence, at least three schools in New York have reportedly banned Squid Game costumes ahead of Halloween to avoid “potential violent messages aligned with the costume.”

The school administration pointed out that Netflix itself had marked the show for mature audiences with its feature of mass killings, torture, violence, nudity, suicide, smoking and scenes of a sexual nature. Fayetteville-Manlius School District Superintendent Dr Craig Tice stated to USA Today that the decision to ban the costumes was declared when staff members noticed some students "mimicking" the show's violent games.

Prohibiting Halloween costumes that are "too gory or scary" or include weapons, like toy guns and swords, in addition to Squid Games costumes, Tice stated, “Some of our younger students are talking about and mimicking aspects of the show/game at school. Parents and guardians … have the opportunity to speak with their children themselves about it and reinforce the school message that games associated with violent behaviour are not appropriate for recess.”

Bay District Schools in Panama City, Florida, issued a similar statement that read, “Some children are trying to replicate show scenes at school but what sounds harmless (who didn't play Red Light/Green Light as a kid?) is not actually harmless because the game in the television show includes "elimination" (death) and we are seeing kids trying to actually hurt each other in the name of this 'game,'" the district said. "We don't want anyone to get hurt and we don't want to generate discipline referrals for students who don't really understand what they are re-enacting.”

However, CBS New York reported that some parents reacted to the schools' crackdown on costumes as "overbearing." According to the news agency, one parent in the Bronx said, “It's a costume. Just don't let your kids watch the show.”

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