North Caddo High School To Change “Rebels” Nickname

After a petition gained more than 4,800 signatures, and dozens of people used video conference calls or phone calls to speak during Caddo Parish School Board meetings on the issue, the Caddo Parish School Board has unanimously voted to change the nickname of North Caddo High School.

The petition, and public comments, mostly centered around the "rebels" nickname, and the fact that the Confederate flag no longer flies at the high school.

North Caddo High School in Vivian has carried the nickname since before the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s. Public comments from former students included conversations about the nickname, and the embarrassment felt by being represented by the nickname.

There were some that spoke in favor of keeping the mascot, including current students. Some in favor suggested that "rebels" can represent different things to different people.

Now that the School Board has unanimously voted to change the mascot and logos, a new one will have to be selected. There also won't be much time to make that decision either. KTAL-TV reports that a decision on a new name will have to be made before the School Board's September 15th meeting.