Goshen School Board votes to retire ‘Redskins’ name

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Northern Indiana school board voted Monday to retire the school system’s 89-year-old name, the Redskins, after deciding it was offensive.

The Goshen Community School Board met for hours, hearing from community members on both sides of the issue, according to WNDU.

Much of the debate centered around what the word “redskin” means.

“I am not your mascot,” WNDU reports one Native American speaker argued.

Others said that they saw no need for the change, stating that it would end decades of tradition.

“It’s very hard because you care about the students in the schools and what you teach young children going forward,” Catherine Cripe, the school board president, told WNDU. “And you care about the people in the audience who feel badly that their particular mascot won’t go forward. It’s very hard.”

The board voted five to two to drop the name, effective January 1.

A new nickname has not been chosen. Officials say making the change will cost between $7,000 and $16,000, WNDU reports.