- Party City has stopped sales of two Confederate-themed Halloween costumes after they were criticized on social media for being racist.
- The costumes of a Confederate officer and General Robert E. Lee were sold at a Party City franchise in Virginia.
- “We have reached out to our franchisees and other partners to remove it from all retail locations ASAP,” Party City said. “We’re taking immediate action.”
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Party City has pulled two Confederate-themed Halloween costumes after they were criticized on social media for being racist.
The costumes of a Confederate officer and General Robert E. Lee carrying Confederate flags were spotted at a Party City store at Bailey’s Crossroads in Arlington, Virginia, by a local mom, who posted a photo of the costume on Facebook, according to FOX Business,
“At Party City, we do not tolerate racism or hatred of any kind, and we stand together in solidarity with our diverse colleagues, customers and communities,” a spokesperson told WUSA9. “Party City supplies a broad assortment of costumes, none of which are meant to be offensive in any way.”
The spokesperson said the Bailey’s Crossroads site is a franchise stores, and the costumes aren’t produced or sold in corporate-owned Party City stores.
“We have reached out to our franchisees and other partners to remove it from all retail locations ASAP. We know that as a company, we can and must do better, and we’re taking immediate action,” the company added.
An employee at the Bailey's Crossroads store told FOX Business that the costume's display on the shop floor was "an honest mistake" that is being "blown out of proportion."
The branch had kept the costumes in storage for more than two years, the employee told FOX Business, noting that the costumes were surplus from local school events.
Amazon sells Confederate-style costumes on its website. Many are described as "Union" or "Civil War" costumes.