JACKSON TWP — The “Raider” name remains, but the associated mascot and American Indian-related imagery are gone.

In an 8-0 (not unanimous — one absence) vote Monday night, Seneca Valley School District directors officially retired the depiction of Indigenous peoples from the district's facade but, they noted, would keep the names “Raider” and “Seneca Valley.”

The board set an Aug. 1 target date for recommendations and proposals for new mascots and imagery, and will seek input from the student body during the 2021-22 school year.

As for the mascot and logos, they are gone immediately.

School board president Eric DiTullio said following the meeting, the district had heard the voices of Native Americans who asked Seneca Valley — among others — to stop using their likeness as logos and mascots. In the face of mixed views from the community about whether to keep or retire the mascot, DiTullio said there was only one option.

“I just can't see us being a community that would say, 'Tough. We're going to honor you whether you like it or not,'” he said.

A similar sentiment was echoed by director Fred Peterson, who said he'd heard from four groups about the mascot and logos: Seneca Valley community members and alumni opposed to changing it; those who supported changing it; students who “report that the use of Native American names, references and imagery is blatantly offensive”; and Indigenous peoples themselves.“In my mind, the only opinions that matter are those of the last category,” Peterson said. “It is their rightful place to say yes or no regarding the use of their native symbols. Their message has been clear: If they had a vote tonight, it would be 'Yes' to adopt the resolution” retiring the mascot and imagery.In fact, Peterson said, he thought about voting 'no' on the resolution because he didn't feel it went far enough to eradicate derogatory terms and imagery of American Indians from the school.DiTullio disagreed, and said while the mascot and imagery go against the Indigenous peoples' wishes, the name “Raider” doesn't refer to Native Americans and has taken on a meaning of its own in the district.“At the end of the day, a rendering of a Native American is not what defines this district,” DiTullio said. “The 'Raider' name, however, does.”

While both DiTullio and Peterson said they sought to honor the wishes of Native Americans the district depicted, the board faced questions and criticism from members of the public who wrote in or spoke at the meeting regarding the issue.Of the four speakers and 14 community members who wrote in opposing the retirement of the mascot, chief among their concerns was a worry about “destroying history.”“Why are we changing history?” Don Rape, of Jackson Township, said. “Why are we eliminating a mascot? That's what I want to know. What did they do wrong?”Shawn Negley, of Jackson Township, raised his own concerns. He said he has four sons either in or soon-to-be attending the district and is concerned their school board focused their energy on the wrong areas.“I'm really concerned about their future and the culture that we live in,” he said. “Why are we even talking about changing the mascot's name when there's so many other issues that we need to be talking about, such as critical race (theory)?”

But not all speakers or email writers were opposed to changing the name. In fact, 15 people who supported changing the name emailed the board in the days leading up to the vote, and another spoke Monday.“My rule of thumb is that if this mascot is offensive to them, that I need to advocate on their behalf,” said Carlen Blackstone of Cranberry Township. “This seems to definitely be the current reality, so I urge you to vote in favor of a more inclusive respectfulness.”DiTullio took the opportunity following public comment to discuss an issue discussed online and alluded to Monday. He described the motion as eliminating mascots and logos depicting a people “we were meant to honor who have now asked us not to honor them in that way.“No, it's not cancel culture. No, it's not caving to political pressure,” DiTullio said. “We are answering the request of those that we were intending to honor. In my opinion, we're obligated to eliminate this imagery.”