University Rules Sombreros Handed Out By Mexican Restaurant Are Racist

A University in the United Kingdom has banned a Mexican restaurant from handing out sombreros to customers after deeming the hats racist.

The University of East Anglia's student union ordered that free sombreros stop being handed out by Pedro's Tex-Mex Cantina in Norwich, saying it was "offensive" for anyone who isn't Mexican to wear the hats, Yahoo News reported.

The restaurant had been handing them out at a fair as advertising, which the student union says violates the school's advertising policy that says “Discriminatory or stereotypical language or imagery aimed towards any group or individual based on characteristics will not be permitted as part of our advertising.”

Yahoo News says students at the school found the fan to be outrageous, and quoted one as saying, "It's ridiculous — it's a comedy hat, not some sort of sacred religious dress." They reported that another student said, "Who is going to get offended? Speedy Gonzales?"

The restaurant has yet to release a statement, but the British Mexican Society said it "applauded any business for trying to drum up business."

[Via Yahoo News]