‘We have adopted a zero tolerance policy.’ Penguins react to altered photo shared on team’s social media

PITTSBURGH — A picture taken at PPG Paints Arena during the Penguins game on Tuesday is leading to some controversy.

Getty Images captured a picture of roughly twenty fans cheering in the stands. Most of them are wearing masks properly, but a few have them below their noses and one fan doesn’t appear to be wearing a mask at all.

When the Pittsburgh Penguin’s Twitter account shared the same picture, it appeared to have been altered to crop out the woman without a mask and extend the masks of two fans to cover their noses.

Tuesday’s game where the photo was taken was the first time fans were allowed back at games since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.

A spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Channel 11 the following statement:

“We are excited to have our fans back to PPG Paints Arena, and following the advice of medical professionals, we are taking all precautions to enforce the use of masks to keep our fans safe. We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy, and our arena staff have roving teams to enforce during home games.

While perhaps well intended, our staffer should not have altered a wide crowd photo to adjust masks on faces of even a few fans who were not strictly following the rules. Our social media team should never send out altered photos to our fan base. This is a violation of our social media and safety policy, and this staffer has been disciplined.”

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Cox Media Group