The city of Kenner is attempting to ban Nike purchases from all city recreation programs. In a memo released on September 5, Mayor E. Ben Zhan III states that effective immediately, any booster club operating out of any Kenner recreation facility must have all apparel and gear purchases approved by the city. Further, the memo states:
“Under no circumstances will any Nike product or any product with the Nike logo be purchased for use or delivery at any City of Kenner recreation facility.”
Although the memo was not made public by the city, Big Easy Magazine confirmed it’s veracity with individuals within the parks and recreations department, and we were the first to break the story on our Facebook page. The post quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of comments and shares.
A short time later, city council member Gregory Carroll confirmed the memorandum’s existence in a Facebook post. From there, news outlets across the area began picking up the story.
Nike has recently stirred up controversy with their choice of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of their “Dream Crazy” campaign. Kaepernick is well-known for his kneeling protest during the NFL’s playing of the national anthem.
We reached out to Mayor Earl Ben Zahn for comment, but we haven’t yet received a response.
2:46 PM CST, 9/10/2018 UPDATE
According to The Advocate, Kenner, LA Mayor Earl Ben Zahn III has released a statement on his Nike memorandum, stating “My decision is only to protect taxpayer dollars from being used in a political campaign.” Let us know what you think on facebook, twitter and below in the comments.
