John Jay Chooses New Mascot

CROSS RIVER, NY — The new mascot for John Jay High School is the Wolves. The Katonah-Lewisboro School District made the announcement Thursday. On the district's website, there was an explanation as to why the first choice — Wolfpack — was eventually rejected in favor of Wolves.

The previous mascot — the Indians — was determined to be controversial and a change was sought.

"Wolves and Wolfpack were overwhelmingly the top suggestions to our selection committee when the community was first surveyed," the statement on the website said. "When the committee later narrowed the choices, Wolfpack was selected for its connotation of teamwork and because there is one school in Yonkers (not a school we compete against) that uses wolves as its mascot."

Wolfpack was the winner of the vote by students entering sixth grade through current seniors.

The district said that while the voting was taking place concerns were raised about the connection of the word "wolfpack" and the Central Park Five case. The word was used in 1989 by the media and others "in ways that dehumanized the group of boys who were falsely accused and wrongfully convicted."

In light of racial justice protests taking place around the country, the school district decided to explore "whether a word used to demean in one context can remain free of that negative association in another context."

School officials also took time to speak to colleagues and community members, as well as people who study and teach issues of race, culture and equity. They also reached out to representatives of organizations such as the NAACP.

"In addition, we've learned more recently how protective North Carolina State University is of its trademarked logo 'Wolfpack'," the district statement said.

The district finally chose Wolves as the new mascot.

"Wolves have a strong community connection and can be a proud symbol for our students and our schools," the district said.

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