Description
For more than 60 years, the Redskin name had been a part of the Lancaster Central School District, but on March 16, 2015, the Lancaster School Board voted to discontinue the use of the nickname "Redskins". Starting in 2001, the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights advocated for non-Native American schools to avoid using images and references that could have a negative prejudice or bias against Native American people. With this, the Lancaster School District started to slowly phase out the Redskin name by doing things such as ordering uniform's without any reference to the mascot name. The school district than announced it would make a decision in the 2017–2018 school year, but this came with opposition as some people wanted this timeline to be accelerated. During the school's spring lacrosse season, the Akron, Niagara Wheatfield and Lake Shore school districts boycotted Lancaster lacrosse games due to a large amount of Native American athletes on each of their respective teams. Due to these actions, the Lancaster School Board decided to immediately make a decision regarding the district's mascot name. In reaction to this decision to change Redskin name, there were some protests, including one by students of the Lancaster School District. About 10% of the student body of the Lancaster School District participated in a walkout in response of the name change on March 19, 2015. These protests weren't successful as the district was dedicated to its decision. Although previously scheduled for May 27, on June 2 and 3 of 2015 the students of the Lancaster High School, Lancaster Middle School, and William Street School voted for the new mascot name. The students were given seven choices to vote on: the Lancaster Alphas, the Lancaster Dragons, the Lancaster Jaguars, the Lancaster Knights, the Lancaster Legends, the Lancaster Pride, and the Lancaster Red Hawks. With receiving 1,106 votes out of 3,072 total votes, it was announced on June 3 that the winning mascot name was the Lancaster Legends. The Legends logo was designed by an 8th grader named Korissa Gozdziak. To conclude this process, the Lancaster School Board finalized the new mascot name on June 8, 2015.
Superintendent Michael Vallely said the name had become a "symbol of ethnic stereotyping," and that keeping it could subject students to retaliation.
"We need to rethink traditions when they become hurtful and perceived as disrespectful toward others, even unintentionally," Vallely told The Buffalo News.
"There is no pride in having schools boycott playing our sports teams," added Kimberly Nowak, a board member. "There is no pride in winning by forfeit."
EXCERPT FROM - How high school lacrosse team played role in 'Redskins' name change - May 19, 2015
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/05/19/akron-high-school-lacrosse-lancaster-redskins/27586831/
"Akron High School's boys lacrosse team leads the nation with nearly 24 goals per game. The Tigers are 17-0 after Tuesday's 25-11 win against Gowanda in the sectional quarterfinals of New York State's Class C playoffs. And none of that even takes into account what might be the team's most consequential act of 2015.
The Tigers decided in March, before the season began, that they would not play neighboring Lancaster, another high school in Buffalo's eastern suburbs. Lancaster was at the time suffering the agonies of a bitter public debate over its longtime team name — the same one the Washington NFL club uses — and 16 of Akron's 21 players are members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation.
The team's decision not to play was soon followed by two other school districts. And then Lancaster's school board quickly jettisoned the nickname that had been theirs since 1952. The resolution, passed at a special meeting, said the school district could not continue practices that were hurtful to others."
ANOTHER EXCERPT...
"Larson Sundown, Akron's first career 300-goal scorer, says it matters not a whit if Lancaster's mascot was not meant to offend. It offended him. He's glad it's gone. And he's gladder still if his team played a part in hastening its end.
"I like the idea that my kids will grow up with one less thing than I did," Sundown tells USA TODAY Sports. "That's awesome to know. My children, and my children's children, will be able to just play, just have fun with the game, just run with it, and not have to worry about discrimination."
Last season, Sundown says, he was called "dirty redskin" and "savage" when his Tigers played Lancaster. "There were some words said, some cruel words," he says. "That's not right. This is our game."