A civil rights panel is planning to propose a law that would prohibit Vermont public schools from using nicknames or mascots derived from American Indians. The state Human Rights Commission and Vermont’s advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights plans to announce that proposal next week.
Governor Jim Douglas says he thinks the decision should be left up to local communities. Vermont schools for many years have debated whether to keep their long-standing Indian-themed mascots or nicknames. Several have decided to drop mascots referring to Indians but others have resisted it.