School board votes to keep controversial Cedar High School name, mascot

CEDAR CITY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The Iron County Board of Education voted Tuesday to keep the Cedar High School name and mascot as it currently stands, despite some controversy.

“The changing of the Redmen to the Reds has divided the county for years,” the Iron County School District said in a press release. “For years, the call for a reinstatement has been an ongoing topic in public comment. During an ongoing discussion the last two months after the issue was placed on the agenda, the board received an official request from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to not reinstate the Redman name as it is considered offensive.”

The school district said four of seven board members voted to keep the name and mascot as it currently stands — the Reds — and board members Jeff Corry, Dave Staheli and Stephanie Hill voted against the motion.

In an earlier meeting held March 26, six of the seven board members voted to put the issue of the school name on a ballot for voters to decide. Since that motion, the school district said it received an opinion from its legal counsel that Utah law does not allow such issues to be placed on a ballot.

The name consideration is considered an “administrative act,” which must be decided by the elected members of the board, the release states.

In a prior board work meeting, members reportedly explored the possibility of a scientific poll of 500 random registered voters, or a district-administered poll of all registered voters.

Board member Dave Staheli outlined the steps that could be taken to get the public input, including allowing 9th-12th grade students to “vote” on the matter.

Other board members said the expense to put together a poll was unnecessary, acknowledging that, as elected officials, they needed to represent the voice of their constituents.

The passage of the motion to retain the current name of the Reds ended further discussion of the proposal for public poll or “vote,” the release states.

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