Should Chippewa Valley Drop the Big Reds Nickname?

Should Chippewa Valley High School change its nickname?

The answer is yes, according to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

The department said that high school nicknames—such as Big Reds for Chippewa Valley High School—harms students’ education and asked the U.S. Department of Education to ban the use of American Indian mascots, nicknames and “imagery” at the high school level, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Chippewa Valley was one of 35 high schools mentioned in the Michigan Department of Civil Rights’ complaint.

"A growing and unrebutted body of evidence now establishes that the use of American Indian imagery reinforces stereotypes in a way that negatively impacts the potential for achievement by students with American Indian ancestry," the department said in a filing to the U.S. Department of Education.

"Continued use of American Indian mascots, names, nicknames, logos, slogans, chants and/or other imagery creates a hostile environment and denies equal rights to all current and future American Indian students and must therefore cease."

What do you think? Should Chippewa Valley change its nickname? Let us know in the comments below.