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Chicago Tribune
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Debate rages over names of Illinois school teams
Highland Park High School dropped the adjective 'little' from its Giants sports teams decades ago. Which is fortunate, for the school could have found itself outside the law under a bill snaking its way through the state legislature. The long-winded Prohibition of Discriminatory Disability Mascots Act passed the Illinois House of Representatives earlier this month and moves on to the state Senate, where it undoubtedly will be adopted and await Gov. J.B. Pritzker's signature. Sponsored by state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, it targets far Downstate Freeburg Community High School, in the Metro-East region by St. Louis, and its team name, The Midgets. According to Jeremy Gorner's front-page story of April 14 in The News-Sun, the bill defines a 'discriminatory disability mascot' as, 'any name, logo, or mascot that is derogatory or representative of an individual or group based on disability, as defined by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.' It would apply to K-12 schools, public universities and community colleges in Illinois. Opponents of the measure maintain it is another woke encroachment by state lawmakers. Supporters, including state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, say the Midgets name is 'divisive and harmful.' Unsure where Bantams or Lilliputians might fit in. Illinois disability advocates have complained about the Midgets name for at least a decade. 'The purpose of a mascot is to bring camaraderie, to create goodwill, to create spirit,' Democrat Dias said. 'I have a child with a disability. If my child's school used his disability as a mascot? I don't even know.' Legend has it that Highland Park dropped the 'Little Giants' monicker in 1971 after a football coach decided he didn't want the team to be considered 'little.' That's similar to early Waukeganites deciding they didn't want to be Little Fort, turning to the name of Waukegan, yet opting out of being a boastful Big Fort. How Highland Park became the Little Giants began in 1940 when the school's principal chose the name because of his alma mater, the Wabash College Little Giants. The North Shore school's yearbook was even named 'The Little Giant.' There is another Little Giants high school team in Fremont, Ohio, which claims to be the nation's sauerkraut capital. At liberal arts Wabash College, a Division III all-male school (one of three remaining in the U.S.), nestled near the banks of Sugar Creek, a southern tributary of the Wabash River, the teams remain the Little Giants. The school is in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in east-central Indiana, about 50 miles west of Indianapolis and about the same distance from the Illinois state line. The college team, whose mascot is Wally Wabash, got the nickname 'Little Giants' in 1904 from an Indianapolis sportswriter, according to the college, because the teams nearly always were up against much bigger schools with much heftier players. Freeburg High supporters argue the same. They say the Midgets label has been around since the 1934-35 basketball season. A local sportswriter — they are troublemakers, aren't they? — apparently was looking for a colorful name for his copy to tout the basketball team's small lineup, whose tallest player then was 5-foot-10. The sportswriter opted for 'midgets,' which supporters say is an 'affectionate' nickname. If he picked 'Elves' or 'Munchkins' it is doubtful Illinois lawmakers would be spending time on the mascot bill while the legislative clock ticks toward a May 31 adjournment. If eventually signed into law, it will force Freeburg to find another team name by Sept. 1, 2028. That legislation isn't the only mascot bill adopted by the House this month. Democrat West is also the chief sponsor of a bill that would ban state schools from using Native American names, logos or mascots. However, under the legislation, schools could use a team name of a 'federally recognized tribe or historical Native American person' if they get written permission from representatives of the tribe. Deerfield High School, next to its fellow District 113 neighbor Highland Park, teams are the Warriors, but your friendly Hellenistic types, complete with a Greek helmet logo. No Lake County high schools have Native American names, although we have Corsairs, Blue Devils, Patriots and various animal mascots, like the Mundelein Mustangs, Libertyville Wildcats and the Zion-Benton Zee-Bees, one of the best team names in the state. If the tribal mascot bill were to become law, it would take effect in 2030. As of 2021, there were about 50 high schools in Illinois with Native American names or imagery for their teams or mascots, according to Illinois Public Media. Opponents of the bill say it would be costly for schools to rebrand their team names, change uniforms and, in some cases, erase mascot images from football stadiums and gymnasiums. They also assert that it also wipes out decades of school and community spirit. Sort of what European settlers did to Native Americans.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois House takes another step toward banning Freeburg mascot
The House passed a bill Tuesday that would ban public schools from using mascots that discriminate against people with disabilities. The bill, if signed into law, currently would affect just one high school in St. Clair County. Freeburg Community High School's mascot, the 'Midgets,' is considered a slur used against people with dwarfism. The school's administration did not reply to a request for comment. Under House Bill 3527, the school could continue using 'uniforms or other materials' it bought before the bill was passed until Sept. 1, 2028, as long as it already picked a new mascot, according to the bill's language. The bill doesn't clarify what repercussions, if any, the school would face if it didn't change its mascot. The bill passed through the House on Tuesday with a vote of 71-38. The Freeburg mascot was chosen during the 1930s when a reporter coined the term because the tallest member of the basketball team was just 5 feet, 10 inches tall, according to the school's website. The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, said the name was chosen during a time when freak shows, the exhibitions of human 'abnormalities,' were popular. School alumni, members of the Freeburg community, along with activists and organizations, filed more than 1,000 'witness slips' to the General Assembly for and against the bill. Opponents said the school's mascot is a tradition, and there aren't any students with dwarfism in the school who might be affected by the mascot. However, Shelby Holloway, a woman with dwarfism and a national advocate and co-director of Mascots Matter, said students at Freeburg aren't the only ones affected by its mascot. 'This is a statewide issue, and it deserves a statewide solution,' said Holloway during a March 20 committee meeting. 'The Freeburg mascot does not just affect the students who attend that school. Every time a Freeburg sports team travels, its mascot's name is displayed in the schools across Illinois.' Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt, represents Freeburg and argued against the bill Tuesday on the House floor. 'This is a local issue. The local school board should be voting on it, not the state overreaching and saying, 'You're wrong,'' Schmidt said. 'You don't understand the community, you don't understand the history. It's our culture.' Schmidt and other opponents said the school board should be in charge of changing the mascot name, and the General Assembly is infringing on other governing bodies. 'I think this would certainly be obvious that it would be a slam down yes vote for everyone because it is important that we respect people with disabilities,' said Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, during the committee meeting. 'But the fact that it is geared towards one community in Illinois from advocates outside of Illinois makes this really uncomfortable for all of us, I think.' The bill still has to go through the Senate.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois schools may be forced to change mascots under proposed law
The Brief A proposed Illinois law would prohibit public schools from using mascots with derogatory names for people with disabilities. Freeburg High School's mascot, the "Midgets," has drawn criticism from disability rights activists. The school has resisted past calls to change the mascot, but the new legislation could force a change by 2028. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A new bill introduced in the Illinois legislature could require schools across the state to change mascots that reference disabilities in a derogatory way. The proposal comes as Freeburg High School, located about 25 miles from St. Louis, faces renewed criticism over its mascot, the "Midgets." What we know The activist group Mascots Matter filed a complaint in January with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, arguing that Freeburg's mascot violates federal anti-discrimination laws and offends people with dwarfism. The school prominently features the mascot's name and cartoonish imagery on buildings, its website, and social media. In response to the complaint, a Democratic lawmaker from Rockford introduced a bill that would ban public schools from using mascots that include derogatory terms for people with disabilities. The backstory This is not the first time Freeburg High School has faced pressure to retire its mascot. In 2014, the national organization Little People of America urged the school board to change the name, calling it derogatory, objectifying, and dehumanizing. However, the school ultimately kept the mascot after strong community support for its tradition. What's next The proposed legislation will now move through the Illinois General Assembly. If passed, the law would give schools, including Freeburg, until 2028 to phase out old logos, uniforms, and other materials.
