Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a virtual forum held by the Coxsackie-Athens School District March 3, was the setting for a heated dispute over the question of whether the district should retire its mascot name, the Indians. Board member Tara Bachner opened the meeting on behalf of the district's liaison committee, encouraging public input on the question. The committee is "...in the information gathering stage and this forum is part of those efforts to help the board make a decision,” Bachner said. In addition to the forum, the district is also conducting an online survey at its website that will close at 4 p.m., Fri., Mar. 5. Shelly West, a district parent, teacher and alumnus, spoke in opposition to any change. “To many of us in the community, the Indian represents pride, strength and respect, and we feel that we are honoring the Indian and Native Americans by using that symbol to represent us,” West said. “Spending tax dollars on something that is not broken, is unfathomable to me. There are so many other things that money could be used for,” she added. Others spoke in favor of making the change, arguing it is derogatory to Native Americans and should be changed. “Times are changing and hopefully a more enlightened society will now realize that words, deeds and actions by the dominant population can be used to stereotype minority groups,” Athens resident Anthony Patsky wrote in a letter to the forum. Patsky noted that caricatures and stereotypes are harmful to minority populations. The district had the opportunity 20 years ago to change the mascot after being asked to do so by the state Education Department, according to Patsky. The district declined to retire the mascot at that time, he said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.