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Hays CISD votes to retire Rebel mascot from Hays High School

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Published  July 16, 2020 7:11pm CDT
Hays County
FOX 7 Austin

Students, parents address Hays CISD Board of Trustees over rebel mascot

The district received feedback from students, teachers, and the community who said the mascot was hurtful and had a hateful meaning behind it.

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - The Hays CISD Board of Trustees has decided to retire the Hays High School Rebel mascot. Hays CISD administration recommended the change after receiving student, teacher, and community feedback.

The superintendent for Hays CISD has the power to choose the next mascot in the future, according to Amanda Ruiz. 

Hays CISD says that nearly 60 percent of students and more than 70 percent of teachers and staff reported little to no comfort with the current mascot and more than a quarter of students and nearly a third of teachers and staff said they were very uncomfortable.

Hays High School considering retiring school mascot

Hays CISD is proposing the change after releasing a statement earlier this month. If they vote to retire the rebel, they'll keep the name until a new mascot is decided at a later date.

In 2000, Hays CISD eliminated the use of the Confederate flag as the official school symbol. In 2012 the display of the flag was banned in all its entirety both in school and personally. In 2015, following the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, "Dixie" was also removed as Hays High School's fight song.

"At that time the thought and the hope was now that the Confederate flag and the Cixie were removed maybe we can rebrand the Rebel and kind of a 21st-century rebel someone like a Steve Jobs, someone you can consider in the technology industry someone who challenges the status quo and leads change," Tim Savoy, Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer said. "But following the murder of George Floyd and the feedback we were getting on that, it's clear to us there's no way to separate rebels at Hays and those previous symbols of the Confederacy, there's just no way."

Hays CISD administration to recommend Board change Hays High School mascot

The district says the debate to change the Rebel mascot has been going on for more than 20 years.

Through the years the mascot has been the rebel, but right now on their website and on campus, signage displays an uppercase red "H" with the word "rebel" in blue cursive lettering.