At Mountain View High School in Bend, student-athletes will no longer play with an ammunition company’s brand hanging above them, for now.
Bend La-Pine School District officials said Nosler Inc., a Bend-based bullet maker, arranged to pay $4,000 for a large banner under the scoreboard at the Mountain View football field. The company also sponsored team shirts for the girls’ soccer team, for which it paid $500.
The Nosler, Inc. logo is seen on t-shirts for the Mountain View High School girls' soccer team in the Bend-La Pine School District. Nosler is a a Bend-based ammunition manufacturing company.
Supplied photo
Now, the Bend-La Pine School District has pulled the branding from view and is reviewing its policies on sponsorships, after those prominent displays for Nosler drew concerns from some parents, while hundreds of others came to the company’s defense on social media.
Bend-La Pine Schools spokesperson Scott Maben said the district has received four complaints from community members about Nosler sponsoring high school sporting events. The district is now reviewing its policies for sponsorships.
“When considering these opportunities, we need to be aware of how our decisions align with our commitment to promote a culture of safety in our schools,” Maben said in a written statement.
Recent incidents have led to increased concerns among city leaders and some residents about gun violence in Bend.
Last year, a former Mountain View student shot and killed two people in a Safeway grocery store, before dying by suicide. Last month, a shooting in downtown Bend left one man dead. In 2021, a Nosler employee shot and killed a man outside a Bend nightclub. The company fired the shooter, Ian Cranston, in the aftermath.
Zach Waterman, a spokesperson for Nosler, said in an email Monday that the company has long supported school sports since it was founded in 1958.
“Regardless of the district’s decision, we will continue to do what we can to support our local schools,” Waterman wrote. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the company, it’s about the students, teachers and school staff in our community.”
District officials said the Nosler jerseys have been removed, and that the scoreboard sign is no longer on display.
KTVZ reported on the controversy last week, and in a Facebook post linking the story, hundreds of comments expressed support for Nosler, with many praising the company for its track record of supporting local schools.
This year, Nosler also spent $400 on a banner for girls’ basketball at Mountain View High School, and the company donated $1,000 in March for the school’s “Cougar Pageant,” according to public records.