Big loss for group fighting to keep old Fresno High mascot as judge throws out lawsuit
A Fresno judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against Fresno Unified that alleged the district broke the law late last year when trustees voted to change the Fresno High School mascot.
“The judge ruled in favor of Fresno Unified that the complainants did not comply with the statute of limitations,” according to district spokesperson Vanessa Ramirez.
“This Judge’s decision enables the district to move forward with our Fresno High students, staff, and family.”
The ruling was handed down Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court.
A statute of limitations is the deadline by which someone can file a lawsuit after a dispute has occurred.
Fresno Unified trustees voted 6-1 in December to move forward with changing the mascot, which depicted a Native American caricature that critics said was racist. Trustee Terry Slatic cast the lone “no” vote.
The lawsuit was filed in May by attorney Ryan Griffith on behalf of James Tuck, a supporter of the original Warriors mascot.
The lawsuit alleged that the district violated the Brown Act because the agenda for the December meeting read that there would be no fiscal impact to changing the mascot. The board later approved funding of $456,000 to purchase all new merchandise, athletic uniforms, banners, and signs with the new logo, which is an image of Royce Hall.
In addition, the lawsuit claimed the board had previously stated it would not vote on the issue until school reopened. Students were still taking online classes in December due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Griffith also alleged in the lawsuit, “the FUSD Board stated that it had done all sorts of outreach to numerous groups including students, alumni, Native Americans, and so forth. However, after I requested public records of these alleged listening sessions, I was informed that FUSD had no records of these meetings.”
Fresno High mascot changes
The movement and conversation about changing the Fresno High School Warriors mascot began last June, sparked by Fresno’s Jamie Nelson, a Yokuts Native. He started a petition because he said the imagery was offensive and degrading to Native Americans, especially since Fresno High sits on the land originally inhabited by Yokuts Natives before white colonizers stole it.
Dozens of community members and Fresno High School alumni with the group Save Our Warrior Image have been speaking out on the issue at board meetings since FUSD started having in-person meetings. They pleaded with the board not to erase the more than 100-year-old image and said it’s not a racist symbol but an honor and testament to Native American culture.