Real Salt Lake ejected a supporter during a 3-2 win against Houston Dynamo on Wednesday evening because the man had a tattoo the team identified as violating its hate speech policy.
The person had a tattoo on his head that appeared to resemble the symbols of the Nazi “Schutzstaffel”, which was a paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. The same symbols have since been appropriated at times to represent the White Supremacy movement.
A Real Salt Lake spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that the man was “ejected immediately” from the Major League Soccer fixture at America First Field upon team officials being made aware of his presence.
The spokesperson added: “The tattoo was identified as a violation of our zero tolerance policy on hate speech.”
The MLS fan code of conduct states: “Major League Soccer and each of its Clubs are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable match-day experience for all fans visiting MLS stadiums and facilities. MLS and its Clubs are also deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment, free of discrimination and harassment.”
It also prohibits from stadiums the display of “signs, symbols or images” that are considered to be “threatening, abusive, or discriminatory, including on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, ability, and/or sexual orientation.”
The guidelines add that any fan adjudged to have violated these provisions can be subject to penalties including an ejection without a refund, the loss of tickets for future matches and the revocation of season tickets.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
