State tells Pennsylvania school to stop using 'offensive' Redskins logo

Candy Woodall | York Daily Record

The Neshaminy School District in Pennsylvania is no longer allowed to use any logos or imagery that negatively stereotype Native Americans, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission ruled Monday.

The Bucks County district is allowed to keep the Redskins team name it has had since 1932 as long as it provides education to district students that explains it's not acceptable to stereotype any group. That education has to be provided within the next 30 days, the state commission said.

A school spokesman could not immediately be reached Monday afternoon.

The Neshaminy case was first opened in 2013 when a Native American student said the word "Redskins" was offensive. At about the same, controversy heated up around the Washington Redskins' NFL team name, which prompted protests, letters to and from Congress, lawsuits and other public outcry.

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A majority of commissioners voted Monday in agreement with the Human Relations Commission' hearing examiner that the term "Redskins" is "offensive" to Native Americans. Continued use of the term is discriminatory and in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

"What was acceptable long ago may no longer be acceptable. This is one such instance," said commission Chair Joel Bolstein.

Commissioner Michael Hardiman said he agreed the school district violated the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act

“The term 'Redskin' is, and for a number of years, has been recognized as a racial slur," he said.

Neshaminy's continuing use of the team name "Redskins," along with the use of various logos and imagery related to Native Americans as a part of its student environment, is an unlawful act of discrimination, he said.

Hardiman said "Redskins" should be treated the same way any other racial slur would be treated - as a violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.