PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) – The Seneca Valley School Board passed a resolution to keep the Raider name, but remove all Native American imagery from the district during a Monday meeting.
The board voted 8-0, with one member absent from the vote.
The school district will select a new mascot in partnership with the student body.
Seneca Valley School Board President Eric DiTullio said Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Seneca entity asked them to change it.
"You can't say to a people, 'tough we're going to honor you this way whether you like it or not,'" he said. "We're a better community. We're a better people than that."
Before the vote, five people spoke, four of which were against changing the mascot. The board also received letters prior to the meeting, 14 against changing the mascot, and 15 in favor.
Carlen Blackstone, the only resident to speak in favor of changing the mascot Monday, said she was pleasantly surprised the resolution passed without opposition on the board.
"I care strongly about diversity, and advocating for people who are marginalized in our population," she said. "I feel as if I need to be a voice to advocate for that."
Cathy Rape spoke against the change during the meeting.
She said she was happy the board decided to keep the Raider name, but still felt the Native American imagery should stay.
"We had no problem with the Indian pictures that were out here," she said. "The comments that were made that the Seneca Indians would be offended by the pictures of the Indians that were here, you see a lot of those in history books and movies. None of them were derogatory like they used those adjectives."
During a meeting in April, students asked the school board to remove Native American imagery and the Raider mascot from the school.
