New York State Orders One School District To Change Offensive Mascot & Name

This has become a rising issue with sports teams on a national level, now New York State is stepping in and making schools change names and mascots on a local level.

There are plenty of schools in Central New York that potentially could face the same fate as the Cambridge Central School District. Their school is having to change its mascot and team name due to the name being offensive. The topic of the term Indian being offensive is quite a controversial topic. There are many people on both sides of the fence, however, the State has taken its stance when it comes to the Cambridge Indians team name.

So why is this happening for one Capital Region school district, and not others around the state? Numerous formal complaints were filed against the Cambridge Central School District. Initially, the district was requested to remove mention or use of the mascot by July 1, 2021, says Times Union in Albany. After the school chose not to comply, New York stepped in again threatening to cut funding if the order was not followed.

One big thing to takeaway here is that the state has the authority to do this. It seems like this could eventually happen for the districts in Central New York that have a similar mascot and team name. At this moment though, the state hasn't looked into any other district other than Cambridge.

In recent years on a national level, the United States has seen teams change their name, like the Washington Football Team ditching the longtime Redskins name. In 2022, the Cleveland Indians will become the Cleveland Guardians. Could local schools be next?