Update Coming On New Melrose High Athletics Name Consideration

MELROSE, MA — The school administrator who has been leading the charge to drop the Red Raider name will present on the process and timeline for changing mascots at Tuesday night's School Committee meeting.

Melrose High Principal Jason Merrill plans to update the school community on the work of the Mascot Steering Committee, which will in the new year recommend a mascot and nickname "that people can feel good about."

The final decision on the any potential name change will belong to the School Committee, but there isn't believed to a big appetite to keep the Red Raider.

Results from surveys sent earlier this fall indicate current students and staff are much more open to change than the rest of the community.

In a letter to the School Committee, Merrill said a student and staff survey garnered more than 600 responses, about 95 percent of which offered new ideas for mascots. But in 1,140 responses to the community survey, "many" wanted to keep the Red Raider in some form, though there were "numerous ideas" for new mascots.

"We know that there are divergent viewpoints across the community, but we have begun to undertake a fair and thorough process to invite a broad range of ideas and concerns," Merrill said.

The survey results will help the Steering Committee come up with finalists to share with the school and city community for feedback. A formal recommendation is expected later in the school year.

The Steering Committee agreed at a recent meeting the mascot will "have a connection to Melrose — the community and its history; instill pride in the student body; work equally well for all school co-curricular activities; represent positive qualities, ideals, or associations; and be one that people can feel good about."

Merrill announced over the summer he would be looking at changing the mascot, citing its "offensive" connection to Native American imagery. In 2016, the district dropped the feathers from its "dreamcatcher" logo, leaving just the "block M" logo.

Several Massachusetts school districts — and U.S. professional sports teams — have ditched logos, mascots and nicknames related to Native America imagery in recent years.

"These decisions are fueled by the negative effects that these nicknames, mascots, and images have had on indegenous [sic] people and on all of us who are concerned that they perpetuate harmful stereotypes," Merrill said.

Legislation at the State House would ban such imagery in public schools, though any action on the bill is likely at least several months away.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi and Instagram at Melrose Happening. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook