Despite petition calling for its removal, Putnam Co. school will keep mascot: 'It's awful'
PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) — A mascot at a Putnam County middle school will not change following a vote by school board members.
A group of community members approached the board about changing the Algood Middle School Redskins to something new.
They started a petition that’s gotten more than 3,000 signatures calling for the removal.
When Dr. Julia Gruber first found out that would be her child’s school mascot, she couldn’t believe it. So she started the petition.
“It's awful, it’s a slur,” Dr. Julia Gruber said.
She says she thought it would be a good time to approach the board about this issue in light of national attention surrounding mascots.
At last week's meeting, all six board members voted against forming a committee to address the mascot.
“People were hurt and disappointed by that and it was not a good decision,” Gruber said.
FOX 17 News reached out to each school board member to find out the reasons behind their decision.
One member said over the phone he followed the majority’s wishes, and said it would cost thousands of dollars to change the mascot—money he wants to see used elsewhere.
Board member Kim Cravens didn’t want to go on camera, but shared a statement, saying she heard from more people who support the mascot than oppose it, and she believes the mascot represents "honor, courage, strength, and determination."
Dr. Gruber disagrees.
“I have met so many Native Americans who have said this is not an honorable term, this is a hurtful term, they are not mascots,” Gruber said. “They very much oppose that mascot and would like to see it removed.”
Director of Putnam County Schools Corby King issued the following statement:
A small group of Putnam County citizens approached the school board and asked to change the Algood Middle School mascot. The school board discussed forming a committee to consider the change but the community and citizens across the district contacted board members to share their opposition to making a change of the mascot. After hearing from the community, the school board opted to maintain the Redskins mascot.
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