Houston board votes to drop school mascots that may cause offense

The Houston school board has given preliminary approval to a policy that will require schools to drop the use of mascots that may be considered offensive. The Houston Chronicle says the policy is likely to force a high school and two middle schools to choose new mascots that do not have a connection to Native American culture or history. The policy change, sought by Superintendent Terry Grier, calls on schools to show respect and cultural sensitivity in nicknames and mascots. The Lamar High School Redskins, Hamilton Middle School Indians and Welch Middle School Warriors are nicknames that would be affected, the district says. A fourth school, Westbury High, could be required to drop the use of Rebel, even though connections to the Confederacy were done away with more than two decades ago.