In July, the school board in a small Connecticut town called Killingly took what local officials said was a long-overdue step: removing the name of the school mascot, Redmen, which some Native Americans have deemed racist.

Students did not seem to rebel against the change, even agreeing in the fall to adopt a new name, the Redhawks.

But then the adults had their say.

Residents, apparently angered by the removal of the Redmen mascot, flocked to the polls in November and gave Republicans control of the town council and school board.

The new school board quickly voted to rescind the Redhawks name. And this week, at a contentious five-hour meeting, the board voted 5 to 4 to reinstate Redmen, which first became the school mascot in 1939.