KILLINGLY, Conn. (AP) — Students at a Connecticut high school have chosen a replacement for their Native American-themed athletic mascot.
Superintendent Steve Rioux tells The Norwich Bulletin that about 80 percent of Killingly High School students who voted selected Red Hawks to replace Redmen. The other finalist was Razorbacks.
The new nickname is subject to approval by the town’s Board of Education, which meets Wednesday.
The change is the culmination of a yearslong process that began with citizen complaints to the board about the offensive nature of the former mascot.
The board decided to make a change during the summer when the Nipmuc Tribe, based in the area, stated their opposition to it.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation also condemned the mascot as “racist and stereotypical.”