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Assembly approves bill on race-based school nicknames
Posted: 2/25/2010 4:44:46 PM
Updates: On May 5, Governor Doyle signed this bill into law. On April 20, the Assembly voted 53-45 to give final approval to the school mascot/logo bill, SB 25. ... On a 4-3 party-line vote, the Senate Education Committee Wednesday (April 7, 2010) approved Senate Bill 25, the companion bill to AB 35, establishing a process for the state superintendent of public instruction to review school district resident complaints objecting to the use of race-based nickname, logo, mascot or team name by the school board. Under the bill as amended, if the state superintendent of public instruction finds that the use of the race-based nickname, logo, mascot, or team name promotes discrimination, pupil harassment, or stereotyping, a school district will have 12 months to terminate its use. School boards may file for up to a two-year extension for compliance due to extenuating circumstances with additional extensions available for compliance accomplished through a regularly scheduled maintenance program and that costs more than $5,000.
The State Assembly voted 51-42 Thursday to pass a bill that would allow school district residents to object to their school board’s
use of a race-based name, nickname, logo or mascot by appealing to the
state superintendent of public instruction. Under the bill, a school district must cease using a name, nickname, logo or mascot within a period of time if the state superintendent determines such use promotes discrimination, pupil harassment, or stereotyping following a contested case hearing. The bill now goes to the Senate.
WEAC submitted the following statement in support of the measure:
As you are aware, Wisconsin school districts using American Indian names, nicknames, logos, or mascots draw considerable criticism. It raises the objections of American Indian tribes, groups, and citizens in our state to being reduced to caricatures. WEAC opposes the use of American Indian mascots, nicknames and logos by Wisconsin school districts and supports accurate teaching and curricular materials relating to American Indian issues, past and present. WEAC’s official position, revised by our Representative Assembly in 2004 to include a statement putting WEAC in opposition to Indian mascots, is as follows:
Resolution B-16 American Indian Education
The WEAC encourages curriculum and teaching programs that foster respect for Wisconsin American Indian culture, history, treaty rights and sovereignty.
The Council recognizes that the use of American Indian mascots, nicknames, logos and symbols within our public schools is offensive, and has a detrimental effect on the educational achievement of American Indian students.
The Council supports and recommends the elimination of American Indian mascots, nicknames, logos, fight songs, insignias, antics and team descriptors by all Wisconsin schools. 04 (B-16)
WEAC believes that a school’s use of an American Indian name, nickname, logo, or mascot stands in the way of Wisconsin citizens gaining a deeper understanding of important American Indian issues. Promoting cultural and racial sensitivity and respect is an important issue for public schools and the use of these objectionable images harms not only the many American Indian people who are offended, but all citizens of our state.
The following groups all oppose the use of Indian names, nicknames, logos, and/or mascots, and WEAC stands with them:
The Wisconsin Indian Education Association, the Youth Indian Mascot and Logo Task Force, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Sokaogon (Mole Lake) Chippewa Tribe, the St. Croix Chippewa Tribe, the Forest County Potawatomi Community, the Oneida Tribe of Indians, the Stockbridge-Munsee Indians of Wisconsin, the Ho Chunk Nation, the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, the National Congress of American Indians, and the National Indian Education Association.