Schools

Indian Nickname Showdown in Waukesha County

Mukwonago School District officials are continuing to fight the state over whether the high school's Indian nickname and logo should be changed.

A Waukesha County school district could face fines of up to $1,000 a day for ignoring order from the state to change its Indian nickname and logo.

The state Department of Public Instruction ruled in 2010 that the Mukwonago High School nickname a logo depicting the head of a male person wearing a feather headdress "promotes discrimination, pupil harassment, and stereotyping." 

The district challenged the decision in court, but a state appeals ruled this year that the DPI's order should stand, the Journal Sentinel reported. The state set a deadline of Thursday for the district to comply.

Find out what's happening in Muskegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

However, Mukwonago school officials say they plan to pay the fine — if it comes to that — and instead are working with state legislators to get change the law that bans districts from having Indian mascots.

"We really need the state Legislature to take a look at the mistake they made back in 2010 and repeal this law," Mukwonago Superintendent Shawn McNulty told Patch's media partners at WISN 12 News.

Find out what's happening in Muskegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What do you think? Should Mukwonago continue to fight the ban on Indian mascots and nicknames? Tell us in the comments section below.


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