KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Officials with the William S. Hart Union High School District are set to begin discussing the possibility of changing the mascot of Hart High School in a “study session” for the governing board after students gathered over 18,000 signatures in a petition to retire the “outdated and offensive Indian mascot.”
On Wednesday, Hart District Superintendent Mike Kuhlman announced that the district’s governing board is scheduled to host a “study session” to start a conversation about changing Hart High’s Indian mascot, which students have said is “outdated.”
“This is not a meeting where action will be taken,” Kuhlman said. “It’s really time set aside for the board to understand an important issue.”
The move comes after an online petition was created back in June of 2020 to urge Hart High School and district staff to retire the school’s “outdated and offensive Indian mascot.”
“I truly believe that now is an appropriate time to consider making this change,” wrote Julia Estrada, a Hart High 2020 graduate, at the time. “Given that we are amidst a shift in history where young people are challenging the deep-rooted racism found in everyday society.”
The petition has since garnered over 18,000 signatures, attracting the attention of district officials and prompting a response from Hart High principal Jason d’Autremont.
“I appreciate your focus on cultural sensitivity,” d’Autremont wrote to Estrada. “It’s something that all of us are especially attentive to – given the national (and international) call for social justice. As Principal, it’s always been important to me to ensure that our school (and our students) represent our community with the utmost dignity and respect.”
See Related: Hart High Principal Responds To Student Call For Retiring ‘Outdated’ Indian Mascot
While d’Autremont wanted to assure Estrada that he, along with officials from the school, were listening, he also expressed that the school’s primary focus was on getting students back into the classroom.
“My team and I are currently consumed with working out how to do this in light of the ever-changing restrictions associated with the COVID shutdowns,” he wrote. “This is not an excuse, but rather a transparent admission that we are working as hard as we can to get this piece in place first.”
The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and is intended to help the district’s governing board “learn about the history of the Hart High School mascot and to understand the issues that are being raised.”
“We believe the time has come for students, staff and families to come together to thoughtfully and respectfully examine this question as a community,” Kuhlman said. “We think here in the Hart District (that) when we confront difficult, challenging but important issues, we’re not going to run from them. We’re going to face them, and as a community I think we can do so in a manner that is mutually supportive of one another.”
Video feed of the meeting is set to be broadcast live on YouTube for residents to see, and will remain accessible for a period of time to “ensure that everyone who is interested has the chance to publicly view the conversation.”
Kuhlman also said that the district plans to schedule additional opportunities for community input and participation in the coming weeks and months.
The meeting can be viewed here at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
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This is what happens in schools now that students are so brainwashed. So now they hate Indians. This country is falling into the abyss by all this stupidity. So glad I’m older now. Hopefully I won’t be around much longer but my poor grandkids and their kids will get the brunt of this stupidity!
Why does is this mascot need to be changed? I would think that we are honoring native american indians based on the definition of Mascot.
noun; a person or thing that is supposed to bring good luck or that is used to symbolize a particular event or organization.
Isn’t there honorable heritage in our valley based on a western culture, hence the stars along the street in downtown Newhall?
Well stated SCV Mom
Why are Centurions and Vikings okay (both European decent) but Indians aren’t? Why not keep the Native American mascot but call them Warriors? (Although all of the Native Americans I know call themselves Indians) It seems racist to get rid of the one mascot that isn’t white. SCV Mom, I totally agree with you!
If it were a historically accurate representation, then I would be inclined to agree with you. Unfortunately, it is not depicted in a historically accurate fashion.
I personally do not think it needs to be changed, but simply redone. I think the Indian mascot is fine, but some if its aspects need to be changed. They should remove any aspects that have to do with native religion or anything that has a deep meaning in their culture. (Ie: Headdresses). The students should also refrain from using native stereotypes on campus. (Ie: a war cry).
The problem is even if they did do this and respected the culture, many people would still complain and cry about it. It is impossible to make everyone happy, so why even try. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
DO NOT CHANGE THE MASCOT! Do not change history to appease the crybaby millennials!! I graduated from Hart decades ago and I want it to remain an Indian. There is no racism here. We were and always have been proud Indians.
I would think the district’s governing board would be embarrassed to be spending their time on this when kids have been out of school since March. Put together a “study session” to discuss how to get kids back in school and make it happen. Crazy.
What about the petition to keep the Indian as mascot.
What an embarrassment to even consider changing this mascot. Anyone who’s offended by this should be written off as a moron who is likely offended by most things they encounter in life. Grow up and get a life people!!
This PC crap has gone too far
How many native Americans signed the petition.?
If you look at the petition’s comments, it seems that everyone that signed somehow has native blood. (I find that unlikely)
You’re wasting everyone’s time and teaching children to be over-sensitive, PC, emotionally unstable sissy cry babies! Besides, there are No Native Americans. Scientists say humans evolved in Africa and religions say the Middle East. Most people think of Indians as being Strong and lived off and respected nature. Just like the evil White man, some were territorial and violent and some were peaceful!
Make the LGBT rainbow flag the new mascot.
Oh here we go. The pain, the suffering, the sadness that this name change will bring to all the socially aware intellectuals in the SCV.
Get over it Karen’s. You’re all a bunch of well hidden racists
High School athletics is a toxic world. (Google Hart High tea-bagging.) The whole mess perpetuates bully culture and regressive traditions.
Dave R: Most normal parents want the boys to grow to be MEN, not thin, delicate, metrosexual cubicle worker males! A Man says teasing and laughs, a delicate sissy taught by their helicopter neurotic parents says bulling, cry’s and goes to it’s safe space.
The local Tataviam Tribe issued a statement wanting it removed. It’s not an honor to them. So time to change it. You can reference their statement on this link. https://www.tataviam-nsn.us/statement-on-race-based-mascots-in-our-homelands/