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Wal-Mart’s Poor Sportsmanship Cheats High Schools
For Immediate Release
Friday, September 12, 2008
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For press inquiries, contact us at (202) 557-7440.
Contact: Stacie Lock Temple, 202.557.7482 or 202.739.1020
Wal-Mart’s Poor Sportsmanship Cheats High Schools
Reports indicate company is selling local school logo sportswear without permission
Washington, DC - Reports indicate that Wal-Mart is undercutting high school athletic sportswear sales and denying schools valuable fundraising dollars. While Wal-Mart is fond of saying that it supports local communities, Wal-Mart Watch says this trend provides yet more evidence that Wal-Mart takes more out of the communities where it operates than it gives back.
Two disturbing news reports have surfaced in the past week about Wal-Mart selling high school logo sportswear without the permission of the school, and refusing to donate any of the profits. These news reports were corroborated by individual accounts during the past 36 hours from Wal-Mart Watch supporters in more than 20 states, indicating that Wal-Mart’s poor sportsmanship is widespread. Each of the individual reports are being mapped online here.
Last Thursday, KXLY-4 News in the state of Washington reported that despite complaints, a local Wal-Mart was selling Cheney High School athletic gear at cut rate prices, and refusing to donate any money to the school.
Yesterday, the Kingsport Times-News reported that Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee has repeatedly complained to Wal-Mart about the practice and the school attorney has sent cease-and-desist letters. Wal-Mart has failed to respond to the letters, and Wal-Mart’s supplier actually argued that the school must provide a “copy of [its] license” to prove that the school name and logo were indeed owned by the school.
Wal-Mart’s athletic sportswear sales practice, which has likely been in place for years, is drawing sales away from school booster programs and campus bookstores, and draining money out of the already stretched budgets of high school sports programs.
“It is outrageous that any company would undercut local high school sports programs, especially Wal-Mart - a company that endlessly touts its small-time charitable donations to the community,” said Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director David Nassar. “High school athletic programs across the country are desperate for these funds, and school systems simply don’t have the money to fight Wal-Mart in court. Wal-Mart needs to immediately reassess this policy, and begin working with individual schools to either share profits or cease all sales.”
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