A Real Salt Lake fan, Jonathan Pangburn, was removed from a soccer stadium after being seen with an offensive tattoo on the side of his head.
The tattoo, a lightning bolt symbol associated with the Schutzstaffel (SS) – a Nazi paramilitary organization – is located above Pangburn’s left ear. This emblem is often used by white supremacists today.
Pangburn was quickly escorted out of the stadium during the Real Salt Lake match on July 3. A photo of him before he was asked to leave has gone viral.
Pangburn addressed the situation, expressing shame for the tattoo and stating that it represents a past identity he no longer identifies with. “My tattoos affect me, and they offend me more than they offend anybody else today,” he told KSTU.
Pangburn revealed that he previously embraced Nazism and skinhead philosophy but has since renounced those beliefs. He acquired the tattoos while in and out of prison and struggling with addiction.
The tattoos include the SS symbol on his head and two swastikas on his left calf and arm, all of which he is currently having removed. “I am filled with regret and shame every time I go into public,” he said.
Pangburn admitted he made a mistake by not covering his tattoos at the match, acknowledging, “I could have covered up my tattoos and worn a hat.”
He emphasized that he does not intend to spread negativity or hatred, noting that he is working to turn his life around. Pangburn recently graduated from the Other Side Academy in Salt Lake City, which helps individuals with a history of addiction.
“It teaches you how to love, gives you a life back, teaches you about friendship, accountability, humility,” he said.
Despite his efforts, Marc Levine, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, told local news that the symbols remain offensive. “Hate has no place in our sports stadiums,” Levine said. “This is a very haunting and scary thing for people here in the United States today. That hate has a very long shadow. We also know that hateful rhetoric often leads to hateful acts, so this can be a very scary thing for someone to see.”
Pangburn’s friends have defended him, with Evan Done of the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness writing on Facebook: “I actually know this guy. He got those tattoos to survive in prison (where he has spent most of his life) and in the past couple of years completely turned his life around. He told me he needs to keep his hair short there for ongoing laser treatments to remove it.”