Southern Indiana community debates controversial mascot of Southwestern High School

HANOVER, Ind. (WDRB) -- A group of people in southern Indiana is calling on the Southwestern Jefferson County School Corporation to change it's mascot to something other than the "rebels."

The people fighting for the name change said the mascot can be associated with racism and comes off as offensive.

"With what's happening now in our world with George Floyd and the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, it made me think as a white woman: 'What can I do to be an ally and be supportive?" said Julie Patterson, a local resident who is asking the school to change the mascot.

There have been many groups debating the issue on Facebook, including those who are for the change and others who want to the rebel mascot to stay in place.

"I would hesitate as a member of the community, of the school, to say, 'by God we're going to keep this,' when really it's not hard to equate that name with that racist ideology," Patterson said.

The Southwestern Jefferson County School Corporation said it is not tied to racism and that there are many false claims circulating in the community and on social media.

Superintendent Jeff Bates told WDRB News that people have spread rumors saying that the school still flies the Confederate flag, depicts the colonel rebel as the mascot and still displays the controversial character.

"That would be offensive, but that's not who we are," Bates said.

In fact, Bates said the school has done everything it can to completely disassociate with the rebel character and now only uses the name.

School officials said the rebel nickname was established when three schools consolidated to form Southwestern Jefferson County Schools. The name was used because there was much opposition to the consolidation.

It stems from James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause" film, not racism, Bates said.

"It's that kind of a rebel, being rebellious," he said. "Not anything to do with the Civil War at all."

The school district said a name change of the mascot is not likely but that administrators are open to conversation.

"But at some point in the history of the school it was associated," Patterson argued. "I think in this day in age, it's important to distance yourself from that imagery and the values of the people who thought owning other people was OK."