California school district bans clown costumes following clown scare

SAN JOSE, CA -- A California school district is banning certain costumes from its campuses this Halloween in reaction to creepy social media postings about clowns.

Evergreen Valley is part of the East Side Union High School district in San Jose. Superintendent Chris Funk sent out a letter to parents and students, warning them to keep a lookout and to stay alert during this Halloween season because there have been too many people dressed as clowns on social media sites that have been acting bizarre and inappropriately.

"I think that they shouldn't wear the clown stuff and so other people won't get scared," said student Morgan Sealy.

It's suddenly become creepy, crazy, menacing: sightings of people dressed in clown costumes. Most have been just that, sightings. No violence, but some schools are reporting that people are trolling as clowns on social media trying to get students to react. Among them is the East Side Union High School District.

"So what we're requesting is that any student who receives any type of ping like this, not to respond and then to inform their sight administrator," said Funk.

In fact, just to be safe this Halloween the district says it's on heightened alert.

The administrators sent a letter to the school community saying, "We will not allow clown costumes, nor any costumes that disguise the identity of students."

Reaction to the letter was mixed.

"Kids should be able to be what they want for Halloween without everybody going crazy about the clown things," said San Jose resident Kelsey Parysek.

San Jose parent Lanie Buantello added, "I agree that we need to do everything that we can to keep them as safe as possible at school."

Students also had varied responses.

One said, "It's not real, you know. It's just like someone pretending to be something so I don't think they should ban it."

"If it's enforced, then I guess we've got to take action and respect the rules that they, that they're playing out here at the school," said another.

One family we met had just bought their costumes at a Halloween superstore.

"I think it's fair with all the clown sightings like chasing after people, it think it's fair," said student Jada Sealy.

"You know, it's Halloween," said parent Natasha Sealy. "I just want kids to have fun and dress the way they like to dress."

A Halloween store in the area says they've already had a customer returning a clown outfit.