Press Release
July 28, 2015
Cathie Cripe, GCS Board President
Goshen Community School Board Votes to Change Mascot
Mascot to be retired December of 2015
With a vote of 5-2, the Goshen Community Schools Board of Education chose to end its use of the
“Redskin” mascot at the completion of 2015 calendar year. The July 27 school board meeting followed
several months of vigorous, yet respectful, board and community conversation on the issue. A new
mascot will be identified in the fall of 2015 and implemented in the winter and spring of 2016.
“As we retire our “Redskin” mascot we want to honor our history and traditions,” said Cathie Cripe,
board president. “There comes a time when society changes and symbols need to also change. I
remember when women’s’ basketball was half court and the rules only allowed three players to shoot.
We had to wear a bloomer type of gym-suits to play the game. However, now the rules have been
changed to fit the times, not because we had to, but because it was the right thing to do.”
Officials noted that when Native American tribal leaders approached the board and noted the offensive
nature of the term, the discussion began to shift. They noted that across the country, both nationally
and locally, organizations with Native American mascots are spending precious time and money
debating and defending an issue unrelated to student achievement or success. In addition, in the
Goshen community, hundreds, if not thousands of hours had been spent discussing the mascot over the
past decade and that was not deemed to likely go away.
“We have pride in the many traditions and history of our community, but we also care about our
children and what is important, ” Cripe said. “As we honor and value our past, we also anticipate the
many opportunities to come as future students create new traditions and history of their own.”
As part of the decision, the board encouraged the school administration to involve the students and
community in the creation of a new mascot. School officials noted that the high school leadership will
create a ‘task force’ that includes Goshen High School and Middle School leaders, students and teachers.
Work will begin immediately with the goal of using the new mascot as of January 1, 2016 and then
having the new mascot fully implemented across the district for the 2016-17 academic year. Updates
related to their work will be provided to both the school board and broader community.
As part of their action, board members highlighted that Goshen is a culturally diverse community and
this strength allows Goshen High School graduates to successfully compete on a global stage. Goshen
Community Schools remains focused on creating effective learning environments that ensure that every
student receives a world-class education. The board expressed their appreciation for the open and
effective communication of all involved during this process.
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