Foxboro divided as school committee debates changing Warrior logo
FOXBORO - Foxboro is divided over the town's mascot. Parents and the school committee are debating whether to retire the Warriors logo, featuring a Native American warrior's head.
It has been a symbol of pride and spirit in Foxboro since anyone can remember, but now some school committee members want to reconsider the logo as the face of Foxboro's athletic teams.
"I look at it as a way of life," lifelong resident AJ Dooley told WBZ-TV. "It just runs so much deeper than a logo, it is the way that we pride ourselves in this town, and the way that we pick each other up and the way we live and fight for each other on a daily basis."
At a school committee meeting Tuesday night, the debate was heated with passionate arguments on both sides.
"This issue in general has the potential to really divide our town," said Heather Harding. "In Foxboro, it's embraced by the entire community and that's why a lot of us feel very strongly that before any decision is made or if any action is taken, it needs to be vetted by the entire town."
The argument is that in a time where several school districts like Wrentham, and professional sports teams in Cleveland and Washington, have already retired symbols deemed offensive to Native American tribes, maybe it's time for Foxboro's logo to go.
"I think that tying our community to an image is dangerous I think there are much more important, significant things to tie ourselves to," said student Emma Lacey.
Parent Erin Earnst says her daughter did research on the topic and interviewed a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
"Why would the Foxboro Public Schools continue to choose to have a mascot that is proven to have harmful impact on others?" said Earnst. "The American Psychological Association did extensive research and found that this image is, is harmful."
In 2020, nonprofit marketing agency Heard Strategy and Storytelling helped five Massachusetts schools rebrand their logo pro-bono. The founder Jake Messier says the cost of rebranding can be anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 and if Foxboro wants to talk, they're here.
"My team and I felt like being on the right side of history and our interpretation of the right side of history, in terms of history and people feeling like they belong, we felt like it was important," said Messier.
Many are calling for town vote beyond the school committee.
"This embodies our town and to hear young people saying that this is dangerous and racist, I just don't get it, I don't like it, I don't appreciate it," said lifelong resident Theresa Payne. "I can tell you wholeheartedly the town wants to keep this logo."
The school committee says they're in the process of scheduling time to meet with indigenous leaders to hear their perspective and have a discussion with the community.