The Stanford Tree has been suspended indefinitely.
The student who works as the Cardinals mascot, the Stanford Tree, has been suspended from their post after they pulled out a “Stanford Hates Fun” banner during a game earlier this month.
This isn’t the first time a Stanford Tree has been suspended, either. According to ESPN, in 2006 two mascots were suspended during the basketball season, one dancing in an undesignated area at the NCAA tournament and the other for drinking before a game. Another mascot was suspended in 2016 after hazing allegations, among other things.
It’s unclear how long the suspension will last, though a previous Stanford Tree will step in — so Stanford will still have a mascot at events moving forward.
The Stanford Tree whipped out the banner during halftime the Cardinals' 15-14 win against Arizona State on Oct. 22. According to the Stanford Daily, the message is part of a long running protest students are holding due to what they see as the university restricting social events and parties.
Stanford, currently 3-5 and in last place in the Pac 12, will host Washington State on Saturday.
While it's easy to see why the university opted to suspend the mascot, the decision seems like it's reinforcing the initial message more than anything else.