A Pennsylvania high school has voted to restrict when and how often the word “Redskins” can be used in the student newspaper — even though it’s the name of the school’s sports teams and mascot — because the student editors think it’s racist.
The Philadelphia-area Neshaminy High School has been toying with the idea of banning writing the name of its own sports team name since October 2013, when the student editors of the Playwickian decided the term was racist and restricted anyone from writing it in the paper, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
However, a month after the kids restricted using the word, the principal overturned the ban saying the editors might violate the First Amendment rights of others by excluding the name from articles.
The students retaliated by resisting the measures, and stood by their claim that “Redskins” is a racial slur — and that’s when a Philly law firm jumped into the mix to represent the students. To quell the drama and a lawsuit, the school board said the decision would be put to a vote later in the year. (RELATED: 12 Trademarks Declared Less Offensive Than Redskins)
And according to The Associated Press, the PC committee of school bureaucrats finally voted on Thursday that the name “Redskins” will be severely regulated when written in the school’s newspaper, though it will not be completely banned.
The Neshaminy school board voted 8-1 that the mascot and team title will be minimally used in the paper, especially in the news section.