Wilmington school may lose Redskins name

ELSMERE, Del. -- A committee for the Red Clay Consolidated School District is recommending that Wilmington's Conrad Schools of Science stop using the nickname "Redskins" and Native American imagery.

The News Journal reports that the committee voted 9-4 Monday night at a meeting in Elsmere to retire the nickname. Committee members included school district alumni, teachers, community members and chiefs of two Native American tribes.

Supporters of the nickname say the Redskins name honors Native American heritage and the tradition of the school. However, the name has been seen as culturally insensitive by critics.

The committee agreed to a resolution to put together an educational plan, created with input from the Nanticoke and Lenape tribes, that will maintain the school's ties with those tribes.

The Red Clay school board will have final say over the committee's recommendation.