Schools respond to Native American mascot ban
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SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A state panel heard strongly negative reviews Tuesday from local school officials about a proposal to ban Indian high school mascots from 15 Oregon schools.
Some Indian leaders consider the use of Indian mascots, logos and team nicknames as offensive. So state school officials are considering a recommendation to force schools to get rid of them by September 2011.
During several hours of testimony, however, officials from those schools argued that there's no evidence that use of such mascots or symbols creates any problem and that it would be costly for districts to remove them.
"We have no data to show that this causes harm," said Lee Paterson, superintendent for the Roseburg School District, where high school teams are called "the Indians."