A Mississippi county has had enough of the creepy clown phase.
Kemper County, Mississippi's Board of Supervisors voted recently to make it unlawful to wear a clown costume in public. The ban covers all ages and includes costumes, masks or makeup.
Violation of the ban can result in a fine of up to $150.
The ban -- which will expire the day after Halloween -- comes at the request of the county sheriff, the Kemper County Messenger reported. It comes after a series of reports from around the country and Alabama that spooky-looking clowns were threatening children and schools. Some of those reports were later debunked and a few led to arrests with concerns over the creepy clown phenomenon growing as Halloween approaches.
Sales of creepy clown masks and costumes have skyrocketed in recent weeks though some retailers, such as Target, have pulled them from the shelves.
Kemper County, population 10,000, is located in east central Mississippi across the Alabama state line from Sumter County.
Constitutional violation?
The clown costume ban may have legal issues, however.Lee Rowland, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in New York, said people's choice of clothing is protected by the First Amendment.
It's a "a ridiculous use of government authority .... to dictate which Halloween costumes people can wear," she told the AP.
(c)2016 Alabama Media Group, Birmingham
