Radnor students protest to keep ‘Raider’ name amid debate over Native American mascots

Students walked out of Radnor High School on Monday morning to call for keeping the school’s “Raider” nickname, which the school board voted last year to drop along with the Native American imagery that accompanied it.

Holding signs that read “Change the Mascot … Keep the Name,” a group of students marched around a field for about 15 minutes. Police stationed at the entrance to the Delaware County high school campus prevented reporters from entering.

A district spokesperson said that police estimated 80 to 100 students participated, but that another count put the number around 200.

The debate over the school’s Native American mascot has flared for years but came to a head last year as students campaigned to end its use — citing opposition from the Native American community.

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While Radnor’s adoption of the Raider name preceded the use of Native American imagery, some students argued the two had become inextricably linked. In September, the school board voted unanimously to stop using the imagery; eight out of nine members voted to also retire the nickname. The district then launched a process to choose a new one.

But many wanted to stick with Raiders. Of 1,300 nickname suggestions received by a district committee earlier this year, 992 were for the current name, according to the district.

Students and parents in favor of keeping the Raiders name argue it isn’t offensive on its own when separated from Native American imagery.

“We believe that the decision to remove the Raider name was made in haste, willfully ignores community input and shows no regard for the rich tradition that the Raider name embodies,” Cackie Martin, a Radnor High sophomore, said in a news release Monday. “We want the board members to justify why they are unilaterally thwarting the wishes of the community.”

Laura Lebaudy, a Radnor parent who issued the news release, said some students who support keeping the name were harassed online over the weekend and accused of being white supremacists.

Audrey Margolies, a Radnor senior and member of the “Radnor for Reform” group that advocated dropping the Raider nickname, said “tensions are really running high.”

“I don’t think that the people who walked out are bad people. I just think they feel frustrated,” Margolies said. But she said opponents of the name change have had a chance to be heard — noting that her group publicized its advocacy last year, and drew criticism from people who could have also made their case to the school board.

A school board meeting last August drew more than 130 comments, both for and against a name change.

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Margolies said she and fellow students spoke to Native Americans who said both the Raider name and imagery were offensive.

“It’s Native Americans who are being affected by this name,” she said.

A committee tasked with evaluating new nicknames narrowed community submissions to eight: Dragons, Griffins/Gryphons, Hawks, No Nickname, Phoenix, Rain Frogs, Raptors, and Ruckus. Community and alumni focus groups met last week, and student focus groups at Radnor High School and Middle School are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.