Lawsuit Seeking Return Of West Hartford High Schools' Prior Names Dismissed

WEST HARTFORD, CT — An attempt to overturn the West Hartford school board's decision to change the high schools' nicknames away from Native American references crashed in court Monday.

The Town of West Hartford said Tuesday that Hartford Superior Court Judge James Sicilian dismissed a lawsuit filed by two disgruntled high school alums seeking restoration of Conard and Hall high schools' prior nicknames.

The West Hartford Board of Education June 7 voted 5-2 vote along party lines to change Conard High School's nickname from the Chieftains to the Red Wolves and Hall High School's nickname from the Warriors to the Titans.

Board Democrats were in support of the measure and the two Republicans, Ethan Goldman and Gayle Harris, were opposed.

This prompted local attorney Scott Zweig to file a lawsuit on behalf of himself and another resident of West Hartford, Mary (Haggerty) McGowan.

The plaintiffs claimed the school board violated multiple policies by deciding to change the nicknames and did so against the public and student body's wishes.

Zweig and McGowan claim the school board went against a 2015 board of education policy vote to keep the Native American-theme nicknames.

The duo also sought unspecified costs in connection with their decision to sue the school board, town officials said.

West Hartford made the change amid the ongoing push against such nicknames, evidenced by Cleveland's baseball team going from Indians to Guardians and Washington, D.C.'s football team going from Redskins to the Commanders.

In addition, West Hartford could have lost $28,000 in tribal funding from the Indian casinos in the state due to a state law mandating the loss of such funds for schools with Native American nicknames.

West Hartford Board of Education Chairperson Dr. Lorna Thomas-Farquharson a Democrat, said the issue was all about creating an inclusive learning environment in town.

“The board’s decision to discontinue Native American team names is consistent with our goal of creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students," she said in a statement Tuesday.

"This issue has been the subject of exhaustive and, oftentimes, divisive debate. We look forward to moving on in serving the youth and families in our community.”

West Hartford Corporation Counsel Dallas C. Dodge said the lawsuit wasn't the way to go if one is opposed to a name change.

“I can certainly respect differences of opinion on education policy, but litigation is not the answer to what is fundamentally a political disagreement," Dodge said in a statement issued Tuesday.

"The decision of the superior court confirms that Attorney Zweig failed to establish even the most basic elements of standing and we are hopeful that he will finally abandon his baseless legal claims as well as his ridiculous demand that the town pay for the costs of his own lawsuit.”

James Healy, a partner with the law firm Cowdery & Murphy, served as special litigation to the town with regard to the lawsuit.

“I want to thank Attorney Healy for his thoughtful legal counsel and his excellent representation of the town defendants,” said Dodge.

The court had already decided in favor of the town on a prior motion in the case.

On June 9, a Hartford Superior Court judge denied a request for a temporary injunction that would have restored the nicknames until the lawsuit was rectified.

From July 18: 'West Hartford Schools Seek Dismissal Of Nickname Suit'