DEKALB, Miss. (WGNO) – A county in Mississippi is taking a bold stance on the creepy clown craze.
In Kemper County, clown masks, clown costumes and clown makeup are banned on Halloween.
According to the Kemper County Messenger, the county’s board of supervisors passed an ordinance banning the clown gear, but the law will expire the day after Halloween.
Anyone caught in clown costumes or clown masks can face a fine of up to $150.
An ACLU lawyer in New York told CBS News that the First Amendment protects most clothing choices. The lawyer also said it’s “ridiculous” for a local government to dictate what costumes people can and can’t wear.
Creepy clowns have dominated news headlines over the last few months, with reports from people feeling threatened or just plain creeped out in at least 32 states.
Claims have ranged from kids saying clowns were trying to lure them into the woods, to people seeing them lurking on running trails. Some reports have been confirmed as hoaxes, but others come with photo proof.
