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North Haven Drops 'Indians' Mascot Following Unanimous School Board Vote

School
Alan Levine
/
Flickr

North Haven High School is the latest in Connecticut to dump a mascot that’s offensive to Native Americans. Student-athletes there will no longer be known as the Indians after a unanimous vote at a school board meeting Wednesday night.

In recent months, Kate Schu Hagman and her husband have fought on behalf of their two children in the district to get the name changed.

“My daughter is very happy with the change. She I think said to me ‘we’re in 2021, why is this even an issue?' And I heard that from a lot of the younger people, at least who I know,” Hagman said.

If the district kept the mascot, North Haven could’ve lost $87,000 in state funding due to a provision in the recently passed biennium budget. There was also a looming threat of litigation from the State Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

The board’s chairwoman Anita Anderson had stressed before the meeting that the potential loss of funding had nothing to do with the board’s impending decision. She said it had more to do with the social and emotional wellness of the children.