FLORENCE – The Mr. Rebel image, part of Boone County High School for 60 years, is getting phased out.

Mr. Rebel is a Confederate general who stands tall in a light blue uniform, feathered cap, and English mustache.

Principal Timothy Schlotman said the decision has nothing to do with nationwide efforts to remove symbols of the Confederacy.

Those nationwide movements amped up after a June 2015 mass shooting at an Emanuel AME Church Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina. Soon after the killing of nine black worshippers, a photograph of the shooter, Dylann Roof, was circulated showing Roof waving a Confederate flag.

Calls to remove Confederate statues and other symbols have intensified after this month's deadly car attack at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Here in Kentucky, the city of Lexington voted unanimously Aug. 17 to remove two Confederate statues, pending approval by the Kentucky Military Heritage Commission.

At Boone County High School, the removal of Mr. Rebel has been a local decision that is considerably more low-key.

Last year Boone County High School's Site-Based Decision Making Council – which includes faculty and parent representation – decided to enact a policy stating the school would phase out using the Mr. Rebel logo.

Schlotman approached the council with the idea "because (the logo) did not fit with the global community of our building and the unity we were embracing."

Schlotman said the idea grew heavy on his heart in July of last year. He belonged to a group that hung flags representing 37 nationalities of students the Florence high school had at that time.

"Personally, I felt that the messages the flags sent did not coincide with the message some may think of with the Mr. Rebel logo," he said. "That logo just did not capture the image portrayed in the school."

A student-created logo – featuring the letter "B" for Boone with "Rebels" in smaller letters and at a right angle inside the "B" – has replaced the Mr. Rebel image. Schlotman said the school has changed its letterhead, business cards and some signage in the building.

"We are replacing things as quickly as possible," the principal said.

The gym floor was also redone prior to last school year and the Mr. Rebel logo was removed. Schlotman said the administration is eliminating the logo as it can considering the costs of replacing items. Some signage was originally provided by outside companies through sponsorship contracts and are not as easy to quickly replace.

"It is a process," Schlotman said. "The areas we can fix quickly we are, some others just will take a bit more time. With a school that has been here since 1955, it will take some time to make that transition."

According to Schlotman, there has not been much feedback from students, parents or alums.

"We did get some feedback worrying we were changing our name Rebels, which we are not planning on doing. We can have that nickname and our school colors not associated with a Mr. Rebel-type mascot."

But Chad Ely, 39, of Hebron, said he doesn't believe there is anything offensive about the Mr. Rebel image.

"My grandmother was part of the first graduating class that chose this mascot and there is no reason at all to change it," he said. It's part of the heritage of our community. There's no negative racial connotation with it. They were literally in a meeting about it when the principal yelled at them that they are all just a bunch of rebels ... and it stuck."

Schlotman confirmed the history and said: "Story is, it was after the James Dean movie 'Rebel Without a Cause.'" A New York Times critic called the 1955 film release "a violent, brutal and disturbing picture of modern teenagers."

Ely said that Mr. Rebel, the mascot, is a character only. His great-uncle actually wore the mascot suit for decades during games.

Brandy Denny, 30, of Walton, called the Mr. Rebel mascot "iconic, like Tony the Tiger is to Frosted Flakes.

"I look at it this way, it's all a part of our history and what could make us stronger as a nation. He could stand as a reminder that we are strong as athletic teams but also as a piece of history. Reminders of what we went through to get where we are now," Denny said.

According to Schlotman, there are no plans to replace the mascot, however, the costume won't be used.

Schlotman, who is going into his second year as principal, starting his 33rd year at the high school, said he "feels a strong connection to this school and our history but also understands we are a school representative of a global community."

That global community continues to grow, he said, with 40 flags now hanging in the commons area. This global pride is seen, he said, standing strong among the students. Every year, during senior exit interviews, Schlotman said the administration consistently hears the best thing about the school has been its diversity.

"Students like meeting people from around the world and learning about their customs and cultures and how to get along," he said.

"Our school community embraces our diversity and appreciates the character our global community brings to our school," Schlotman said. "We celebrate that and welcome all students from around the globe to a great, caring and understanding place to learn."