UW-La Crosse Police Warn Students, Faculty About Clown Sightings On Campus

The national trend of clown sightings is catching on at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

UW-La Crosse police sent out an advisory Thursday warning students and faculty about recent sightings of people dressed as clowns on campus. A similar advisory was issued this week at UW-Eau Claire.

UW-La Crosse Police Chief Scott McCullough said they’ve received several reports of people in clown costumes around campus, but no threats have been made to the university.

“We’ve had several situations that both with the city and the university where we had these unconfirmed wild goose chases,” McCullough said. “Obviously that takes away the resources that we would like to apply to try and patrol and keep our campus safe.”

There is no law against dressing up like a clown on campus, but the police advisory warned there may be “unexpected consequences” of dressing like a clown in the “current environment.”

McCullough also advised UW-La Crosse students not to go looking for clowns on campus in light of recent anti-clown mobs at Pennsylvania State and the University of Connecticut.

Local clown professionals said they’re worried these incidents will impact their business.

“Gigs are being canceled because of this and not just because of people being fearful of clowns but clients being fearful of having clowns at an event that controversy might happen,” said Kenny Ahern, co-director of Clown Camp, a clown training program in La Crosse.

Ahern said many in the clown community are also worried about their safety when in costume.

College students have formed anti-clown mobs on two different university campuses and a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in Pennsylvania while wearing mask.