Lansing Sexton High School has a new mascot to replace Big Reds

Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read

LANSING — J.W. Sexton High School has a new mascot – a flinty-looking dog named J-Dubbs wearing a studded collar with a “JW” charm.

Lansing School District officials released an image of the mascot Wednesday after some controversy and months of student, staff, alumni and community input. Officials had originally chosen a different replacement for the long-time mascot the Big Reds.

“I’m really proud of our students and the process we went through to select the new mascot,” Sexton Principal Dan Boggan III said in a statement. “Mascots and logos for any organization evolve over time, and we were way past due for a change for many reasons at Sexton.”

The new Sexton High School mascot, J-Dubbs, was introduced at a Wednesday, May 3, 2023, school assembly.
The new Sexton High School mascot, J-Dubbs, was introduced at a Wednesday, May 3, 2023, school assembly.

Sexton students had supported their choice of a new Sexton mascot, saying they wanted a mascot they deemed “loyal,” “part of the family,” “strong,” “fierce,” and “dedicated,” according to the district's release.

The mascot choice may conclude controversy that at least in part began when the school district and Sexton High School received an $87,500 grant from the Native American Heritage Fund to assist in changing the high school’s mascot from the Big Reds.

The Board of Education selected Scorpions to replace Big Reds as the school’s mascot at a Nov. 10 meeting, despite J-Dubbs being the leading vote-getter among students.

A week later, several community members criticized trustees for picking the runner-up over the clear favorite among students at a board meeting and the board eventually agreed to reconsider, hoping to name a new mascot by the end of 2022.

Sexton athletic teams were known as the Big Reds when the school first opened in 1943 as Central High School. The logo evolved, changing from a Native American wearing a headdress to a red block “S” with a 2 in the top right corner in 2014. The new mascot's neck charm has an "S" smaller than the "JW," and a new "S" logo that will go without a previously used small "2."

J.W. Sexton High School has a new "S" block logo that district officials released on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
J.W. Sexton High School has a new "S" block logo that district officials released on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

The school district announced on July 7 plans to retire Big Reds and begin searching for a new mascot.

Boggan previously estimated the rebrand will cost about $250,000 and the school intended to apply for additional grant money from the Native American Heritage Fund.

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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: J-Dubbs is new mascot for Lansing Sexton High School