Petition against Springfield Schools mascot gains 14 signatures

6/23/2010

A resident in the Springfield Schools' district continues her petition drive to replace the Blue Devils with a mascot with a neutral or more positive image, such as possibly the Springfield Stallions.

Julie Elrod of Holland started a petition on the Web site GoPetition.com, on May 12, and as of late last week, 14 people in addition to Mrs. Elrod had signed the petition, including 3 anonymous signatures, and 2 from Maumee, 5 from Holland, and 2 from Toledo. Others did not register the town in which they live.

Although Mrs. Elrod contends the "board suggested starting a petition to reveal to them if there are enough concerned parents in the Springfield school district to have the school mascot changed," school officials have said the board of education did not ask her to do so and note Mrs. Elrod is not acting on behalf of the Springfield board, administration, or the student body.

Mrs. Elrod is asking residents to get behind her petition drive and has said the change would be for a better representation of the schools' excellence.

In a statement regarding Mrs. Elrod's request to change the Springfield High School Blue Devil mascot, Springfield Superintendent Kathryn Hott said:

"Mrs. Elrod met with the Springfield Board of Education at a regular monthly meeting and has had several conversations and meetings with the superintendent. In each of these meetings, it was clearly communicated to Mrs. Elrod that the board of education and administration support the Springfield Blue Devil as its mascot and are not interested in changing the Blue Devil. Tradition, school spirit, and history are reasons for that commitment to the current mascot along with the huge expense to change our current icon. Members of the board and administration understand that this is something that Mrs. Elrod feels compelled to pursue and we respect her right to do so."