Penn Hills could become 2nd WPIAL school to drop ‘Indians’ nickname

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, August 3, 2020 | 12:34 PM

Penn Hills may become the second WPIAL school to drop its Indians nickname.

The school’s Athletic Advisory Committee will discuss the recommendation Wednesday night, athletic director Steph Strauss said, but declined comment until after the meeting.

“The school board will ultimately decide if they want to go that direction,” Strauss said. “That’s the recommendation we’ll be making.”

The athletics committee includes Strauss, superintendent Nancy Hines and school board members Evelyn Herbert and Michael Tauro. The committee meets at 5:30 p.m.

If ultimately approved, the school district would stop using the Indians mascot, Native American logos and associated terminology such as the “Tribe student section” and “CHIEFS Cyber Academy,” according to the committee meeting agenda. The phasing out of the spear logo and Indian mascot would “likely be a multi-year process to completely move to the new mascot and logo.”

The school would survey students, families, alumni and staff before selecting a new mascot.

Shady Side Academy announced July 1 it would immediately drop the Indians nickname.

WPIAL schools North Hills, Indiana, Peters Township and West Allegheny also have the Indians as their nickname. Aliquippa has an Indian mascot but goes by the nickname Quips.

The agenda for the Penn Hills athletic committee meeting provided a list of areas where the current logos would need to be removed:

• Remove Indian heads from the Fralic Center

• Repaint high school main gym floor (spear logo on wall pads, repaint floor with new logo, remove Indians from floor design).

• High school football field (Indians in end zone, spear logo at 50-yard line).

• Linton soccer field spear logo at 50-yard line

• Replace 60 red athletic chairs at high school that display the spear logo and Indians.

• Remove Indian head designs on scoreboards at the high school football field and gymnasiums.

• Phase out spear logo and Indians from athletic uniforms and equipment

• Remove Indian imagery from CHIEFS Academy banners and signage

• Update the school district websites with new logo.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn Hills