Marion Dumps Mavericks Mascot

Mavericks mascot selected by community vote and approved by Board.

Marion Board of Education members voted five to two in favor of discontinuing the Mavericks mascot selection approved during the February 22 board meeting.

Board member Carl Lantermans, who voted to keep the Mavericks name noted a recent high school survey showed majority support for keeping the Mavericks name. “What message are we sending the kids if we disregard their input,” Lantermans asked.

Board Member Diana Zrudsky read a statement expressing regret over the Mavericks name urging the Board to drop the proposed mascot.

During the public comment period, one Marion parent spoke in favor of keeping the mascot while three members of the Marion Alliance for Racial Equity spoke in favor of dropping the Mavericks mascot. 

Now the Marion Board of Education must decide next steps. Jon Fitch, the other board member voting against dropping Mavericks suggested the district not have a mascot. “No matter what we choose it will be wrong,” he said. Lantermans noted, “the Washington Football Team has gone the whole year as The Washington Football Team.”

But what happens next?

Options include simply selecting another mascot from the previous list, completely resetting the process or an approach somewhere in-between. 

After unanimously agreeing to retain VIP Branding for the marketing approach, board members decided the fifteen member mascot committee meet with the company and representatives present recommendations on next steps at the their meeting in two weeks.