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A principal in the Papillion La Vista Community Schools has banned Pokémon cards.

Principal Monica Thompson banned them from Hickory Hill Elementary School.

The cards were sparking conflict between students, according to a message sent to parents.

The collectible cards are used for trading and for a strategy game. Players take on the role of Pokémon trainer and use their cards to battle other players. The cards depict imaginary creatures and list their battle capabilities.

The popularity of the game got a boost earlier this year with the release of Pokémon Go, a virtual scavenger hunt where players chase creatures around town with a smartphone.

At Hickory Hill, the cards were becoming a distraction, district spokeswoman Annette Eyman said.

Principals have discretion to ban items that are deemed a “nuisance,” Eyman said.

The principal had to intervene in three student squabbles that arose over the cards, she said.