Bill may force school logo change
By Anna Krejci, Dells Events
Wisconsin's Democratic lawmakers have drafted a bill that could fine school districts up to $1,000 a day for using a name, nickname, logo or mascot tied to race, and it may affect the Dells High School logo, if passed.
The bill allows a resident of the school district to submit a complaint to the Superintendent of Public Instruction objecting to a race-based mascot or logo. The superintendent must hold a hearing to determine the appropriateness of the logo.
The school district would be responsible for showing that the mascot or logo does not foster discrimination, harassment or stereotyping. If the superintendent rules in favor of the complainant the district has a year to remove the logo and use of the mascot. After a year, the district would be fined anywhere from $100 to $1,000 a day that it disobeys the superintendent's ruling. The bill also states the superintendent's ruling is subject to circuit court review.
The bill could affect whether the Wisconsin Dells High School student body and alumni could continue to be referred to as the Chiefs. The school has images of a Ho-Chunk Nation chief's headdress throughout its building and, according to Principal Randy Kuhnau, teaches students to behave like an honorable leader.
The school defines a chief as "an individual possessing strong will, high moral character and leads by his or her example of service to his or her people."
Kuhnau said he appreciates the state taking a leadership role, but wishes the decision on school logos would be left to the local districts.
"Living here for the last 11 years I know there's a lot of pride in our logo of the Dells Chiefs," he said. "I believe that the Ho-Chunk Nation and the local school district have worked hard to integrate the logo into the very purpose of what our high school stands for."
Regardless of the pride Kuhnau said he senses much of the community has toward the logo, he said if the bill becomes law it would be a better idea for the school district to change the logo before someone launches a complaint.
He said he believes it is a question of when and not if someone criticizes the district's use of the logo.
He said it would be hard to prove that the logo has never caused discrimination, harassment or stereotyping. Kuhnau said the district also is less able to control how the logo and nickname of the Dells Chiefs is used outside of the school district.
"That's where we probably lose the fight," he said.
He said when the district needs new uniforms for sport teams it is ordering uniforms with logos comprised of only the overlapping letters "W" and "D." It is also district policy to simply put the letters "W" and "D" for Wisconsin Dells on stationary.
State Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, who represents the Wisconsin Dells area, said he would likely vote against the bill because it takes away local control. He sits on the Senate Committee on Education to where Senate Bill 25 has been referred but has not been called to a committee vote.
He mentioned his experience as a school board member and board president in Berlin where the students were nicknamed the Berlin Indians, but said he thinks the state government has more important issues to deal with now besides this one that keeps resurfacing in various proposals for legislation.
Rep. Jim Soletski, D-Green Bay, helped draft the bill and in an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio earlier this month said it's time to get rid of team names like "Red Men," "Braves" and "Chieftains."
"God, it's 2009! It's time to make this change," he said. "There've been so many studies about how using race-based logos and mascots, they denigrate the community -- Native American community, any race community -- and…I think we've been working at this for about 20 years now."
Wisconsin Public Radio reports that Wisconsin has 40 schools using race-based names for sports teams.
It will be a waiting game to see whether lawmakers pass the bill in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. Wisconsin Dells School Board President Dave Schulz said the district has worked with leaders of the Ho-Chunk Nation to create the present logo and he has received no complaints.