Glastonbury school board reaffirms nickname change

GLASTONBURY — Members of the local school board overwhelmingly voted this week not to reopen the possibility of reinstating Glastonbury High School’s former mascot, The Tomahawks.

A public hearing last week over the controversy led to a fight involving one board member, and garnered attention from national news outlets. Glastonbury police have not announced any arrests in connection with the incident, which was caught on camera.

While board members voted 7-1 to reaffirm its decision to keep the current mascot, The Guardians, the issue was again debated.

Doug Foyle, chair of the Glastonbury Board of Education, opened Monday’s meeting by noting the issue with the school’s mascot came up in the summer of 2020, after the National Congress of American Indians reached out to the school board about the name. The group represents some 500 tribal governments across the United States, including four in Connecticut, according to Foyle.

The group asked for the name to be removed “because of its negative effects on Native American students,” Foyle said.

The district changed the mascot’s name to The Guardians in July of last year.

But some in Glastonbury were opposed to the name change, leading to a petition to restore the Tomahawks name that gathered more than 3,000 signatures. Foyle said the petition included the signatures of around 375 registered Glastonbury voters. Because board policy requires a public hearing when one percent of the town’s roughly 24,000 voters call for one, the board decided to hold one on Dec. 14.

The meeting gained national attention after a video emerged of a fight between board Secretary Ray McFall and another man who has not been identified publicly. The video shows McFall appear to shove the man away, who then punches McFall in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Glastonbury police spokesman Lt. Corey Davis confirmed Tuesday no arrests have been made in the incident, but said police intended to release more information once an arrest is made.

McFall did not address the incident during Monday night’s meeting, remaining silent throughout the 45 minute discussion except to vote in favor of keeping the Guardians name, and to second a motion.

The incident, apparently caught on a cellphone, drew rebukes from parents, many of whom said the fight set a bad example for children.

The sentiment was echoed during Monday night’s special board meeting to vote on whether to restore the former mascot.

“The purpose of a mascot is to recognize and unify a group with a common identity,” said Board Member Evan Seretan. “Our common identity is our connection and our affiliation with Glastonbury High School, both present and former. After last week’s hearing, however, The Tomahawks mascot no longer seems to be a symbol that reflects a vision of strength and unity at Glastonbury High School, but instead seems to sow division and discord in our community.

But some board members felt the district should have asked the tribes whether the symbol of a tomahawk could be used again.

“People continue to reference that people are not mascots, and I think all can agree with that, people are not mascots,” said board member Jenn Jennings, who cast the only vote against reaffirming the decision to do away with The Tomahawks mascot. “The tomahawk is not a person, and it’s unfortunate that we did not reach out specifically and ask if we could use the tomahawk, how can we honor the Native Americans.”

She also claimed a school board committee tasked with examining whether to do away with the mascot last year was “biased.”

At one point Jennings asked that the board acknowledge last week’s meeting was “unprofessionally handled” by the board and “the positions of the way everything transpired the other night, both from the member of our community as well as the member of our board.”

Foyle eventually stopped Jennings, saying, “Again, we’re discussing issues, not people.”

Board Member Matt Saunig thanked Glastonbury police and a town councilman for restoring order “to a disorderly scene last week.”

He said he was angered that the fight last week was “such an embarrassing episode for our town,” and said people he knew in Idaho had seen it on the news.