Three CT schools ruled ineligible for funding after continued use of Native American names and imagery

Three Connecticut schools were ruled ineligible to receive grant funding provided by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund after failing to comply with a state statute regarding use of Native American tribes, individuals or customs as mascots, logos or team names, according to a release from the Office of Policy and Management on Thursday.

The Office of Policy and Management ruled that three schools — the Canton High School Warriors, the Killingly High School Redmen and Red Gals and the Windsor High School Warriors — were are not in compliance with the statute.

Canton and Windsor do not receive funding under the current grant legislation. Killingly was slated to receive $94,184 but will not as a result of noncompliance.

Each of the municipalities and superintendents told the OPM they intend to keep their names.

“Pursuant to the statute, the Office of Policy and Management carefully reviewed each submission from every municipality and school district in the state, which included every public elementary, middle and high school,” said OPM Secretary Jeffrey Beckham. “Three schools, Canton High School, Killingly High School, and Windsor High School all certified that they will continue using Native American names, images, or symbols, and as a result, those schools are ineligible to receive grants provided by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund.”

Five other Connecticut schools use Native American names, imagery or symbols but received consent from recognized tribes to continue the use. Those school include Derby High School, Derby Middle School, R.A.I.S.E. Academy in Derby, Mohegan Elementary School in Montville and Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford.