Redskins mascot at North High School up for discussion at Wichita’s next school meeting

Wichita’s school board is set to discuss the Redskins mascot name at North High School during a Monday meeting.

“Many organizations and teams — from professional teams to college teams to high schools teams — have started evaluating the impact of culturally-insensitive mascots,” reads the meeting agenda for the USD 259 Board of Education.

The existing policy on school themes — including songs, mascots and flags — for Wichita Public Schools specifies that the building principal “is particularly responsible for determining that these themes are not offensive to minority ethnic groups within the school.”

The policy calls for initiating change if an existing theme becomes offensive or divisive, and students are supposed to have a voice in the process.

The school board had planned to address the issue this past summer, but the discussion was pushed because members said they wanted to wait until after the coronavirus pandemic ends. At the time, the public was barred from attending in-person.

”We will honor the public’s desire to be present and engage in this discussion and will entertain an agenda item and participation that can occur when we have more direct access to the public,” then-president Sheril Logan said in July.

The situation has not changed, as the public is still banned due to “concern for the health and safety of the public.”

The addition of the mascot discussion to Monday’s agenda came after board members received “many letters requesting that they look at the Wichita High School North mascot to examine the social impact and ramifications on our students and our district,” according to the document.

Many sports teams have considered changing names and logos to eliminate what critics say are racist references and outdated, stereotypical depictions of Native Americans. The Redskins mascot used by Wichita North High was dropped this past year by the NFL team now called the Washington Football Team. The MLB’s Cleveland Indians have stopped using their cartoonish Chief Wahoo.

Last week, members of the Shawnee Mission school district voted unanimously to remove Native American mascots at their schools, including a nearly-century-old “Indians” moniker at Shawnee Mission North High.

“Many of us have received feedback from constituents and I can tell you this: North High alums love North High School and its traditions,” Logan said in July. “As a longtime educator in this community and now your board president, I agree that now is the time to consider a change.”

Prior to that July meeting, the Wichita school board received 16 emails and letters on the topic. Half argued for changing the mascot; half argued for keeping it.

One supporter of the current name, a 1963 graduate of the school, called nationwide efforts to change mascots “cancel culture” and an attempt to “erase history.” A 1965 graduate who wants it changed wrote: “It’s time to discontinue this cultural insult & the psychological damage it causes to Native kids.”

Public comment for Monday’s meeting can be sent by email to the clerk of the board at mwillome@usd259.net prior to 8 a.m. Monday. Emailed comments must include a first and last name, address and phone number.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the North High School lecture hall. The public can view the discussion on Cox Channel 20 or online via the WPS-TV livestream.

This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 6:05 PM.