A sign at the Lancaster School Board meeting. March 16, 2015. Photo by Danny Spewak / WGRZ / Twitter
The public school board in Lancaster, New York, voted to eliminate the district's racist mascot at a heated meeting on Monday night. Mascot supporters chanted and yelled but did not deter the board from getting rid of the controversial mascot, which has been in use for nearly 70 years, The Buffalo News reported. The decision leaves just two school districts in the state with the racist name. “We took it step by step,” Al Parker, a spokesperson for the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians, told the paper. “They’re going in the right direction. It’s a big step." Parker noted that three school districts with sizable Indian student populations were boycotting lacrosse games with Lancaster. It's not clear if that will continue because Lancaster hasn't set a timeline for coming up with a new mascot. "We offer our sincere congratulations to the Lancaster Central School District Board for their admirable choice," National Congress of American Indians executive director Jackie Pata and Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter said in a press release. "Tonight the people entrusted to teach our children stood up for what is right. They listened to all sides of the debate and arrived at a fair decision that demonstrates tolerance and respect, and embodies the values that we as Americans hold dear." Get the Story:
Lancaster School Board votes to retire ‘Redskins’ name, mascot (The Buffalo News 3/17)
Lancaster School Board votes to retire Redskins mascot (WKBW 3/16)
Lancaster School Board Votes to Drop 'Redskins' Nickname and Mascot (TWC 3/16)
District does away with Redskins mascot amid rivals’ boycott (AP 3/16)
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