MONTAGUE — The specter of the old Turners Falls Indian mascot appeared before the Gill-Montague School Committee recently. And while it turned out to be just an apparition, the scare was enough to prompt a new policy pronouncement.
The board heard that volleyball parents were selling T-shirts displaying the previous high school logo and according to social media posts, the proceeds of the sales would go to the school for team expenses.
Because Indians imagery has been removed from the school over concerns of its racist associations, the committee approved the superintendent’s recommendation that the high school not accept money raised from sales of apparel depicting the Indian logo.
The policy was adopted unanimously, although the rumor that had spawned it turned out to be inaccurate, Superintendent of Schools Michael Sullivan learned later.
He said a volleyball fundraiser was conducted by a parent, the proceeds of which were not intended to be given to the school, but rather to buy new warm-ups that do not contain the old logo and would go directly to the athletes for their personal use.
“We were under the impression that the funds raised were going to be given to the team, but we didn’t know at the time that it had happened already,” said Sullivan. Some of the money used to cover the cost of the warm-ups was made by selling T-shirts that sported the old Indian logo. The warm-up shirts were given personally to the athletes not to the school, Sullivan said, who noted the policy should help clarify matters going forward.
Sullivan said in a Facebook post that on behalf of the school district, “the school will decline to accept donations of funds, or goods raised through the sale of items that use our former high school logo or nickname.”
“Almost everyone is trying hard to move forward in a positive way, and while the district is appreciative and grateful for the many forms of support shown to our student athletes, we feel it is important to be clear and consistent in our actions and words following a very difficult decision,” Sullivan said.
In the school committee meeting, during a discussion, Cassie Damkoehler echoed that sentiment, saying said she recognizes the efforts, but believes the school should not accept funds raised from sales featuring the retired logo.
“While I appreciate the fundraising efforts it’s really important that were supporting the students moving forward, if they’re embracing the new logo we all have to be behind that and be supportive,” Damkoehler said.