Court: Redskins Logo, Name Complaint Will Not Be Heard

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from a group of Native Americans who think the name of the NFL's Washington Redskins football team is offensive.

The high court on Monday turned away an appeal from Suzan Shown Harjo. That ends the latest round in the 17-year court battle between the Redskins and a group of American Indians who want them to change their name.

Harjo and her fellow plaintiffs have been working since 1992 to have the Redskins trademarks declared invalid. They initially won – the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel canceled the trademarks in 1999. But U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overturned the ruling in 2003 in part because the suit was filed decades after the first Redskins trademark was issued in 1967.

The U.S. Court of Appeals then sent the case back to Kollar-Kotelly, noting that the youngest of the plaintiffs was only 1 year old in 1967 and therefore could not have taken legal action at the time.

But Kollar-Kotelly rejected that argument, saying the youngest plaintiff turned 18 in 1984 and therefore "waited almost eight years" after coming of age to join the lawsuit. The Court of Appeals upheld that decision in May, and the Supreme Court now has refused to review that decision.

This doesn't end the legal battle, however. The plaintiffs have a backup plan: A group of six American Indians ranging in age from 18 to 24 filed essentially the same claim two years ago, but the new case has been on hold until this one was resolved.

None of the judges has commented on whether the Redskins name is offensive or racist, instead holding in favor of the football team on legal technicalities.

The case is Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc., 09-326.

Comments

[carljr]

The answer to this problem has been obvious to many Washingtonians for years.

Keep the name
Change the mascot to a red-skinned potato.

The number of cool team nicknames that provides are endless.

Problem solved.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

This should never have be in court. The name is offensive to many Native Americans. It is not up to someone who does not belong to this group to decide the issue. If some Native Americans are offended, stop using this horrible name. We would not tolerate a professional sports team named the Polocks, the Micks, the Bohunks, etc. Why is this particular name okay. Save money, don't go to court. Save your integrity, change the name.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

Sorry for the typo it should read " should never have been in court."

[UncleJimbo]

Can't they just claim they are named after "Redskin Potatos"?

[ramper]

It's not going to happen. Nor should it. If anyone can see anything offensive about the logo (which has no intent to be offensive and really honors) than so be it. But it is not changing.

[tomsemioli]

Jesse:

Forget the judicial system – it’s too expensive, and too tied to political and commercial interests. Sports fans of social conscious should simply vote with their feet and dollars: boycott the Washington Redskins – don’t attend the games, don’t watch them on TV, don’t buy the merchandise, and let the advertisers of Redskins games know that we will not buy products from a company that supports a racist portrayal of Native Americans. As a great American poet once opined: money doesn’t talk…it swears. The Redskins and the NFL and will change their tune…and the name of the team from Washington DC.

Tom Semioli

[jqcitizen]

It has been so many years ago that Stanford University changed it's logo from, Stanford "Indians" to the "Cardinal", that I don't recall the reason for doing it.

Stanford is a private school, but not all students are of the Catholic faith and haven't, to my knowledge, tried to make a federal case over it's logo.

[liberalNmoderation]

As a former redskins fan, I think that they should be forced to change their name and logo, as should ALL teams professional and otherwise.

[Opus Loki]

I'm more upset at the ACLU,the NAACP, and all people of color that play for, support, or watch this team play. How many of you would watch a team called the "Washington White Trash", "Spokane Spicks", "California Kikes", "Portland Porch Monkeys", or the "Wisila WAPs"? Someone here stated that the name was given in 1933 in honor of their head coach...BULL. There is no honor in a derogitory name. I am 49 years old and have not watched this team in over 30 years. And to think they used to play in RFK stadium of all places.Why don't we get a team together, call them the "Toledo Uncle Toms" and have them play in MLK stadium? The legality of the Supreme courts ruling is not how this should be approached any way. The MORAL conscious of our nation needs to be aroused once more to correct a legal acceptance of a racial disservice to our fellow Americans.

[opprobrious]

The Redskins name and logo IS offensive and racist. If native Americans are offended by how non-natives portray their images that's good enough for me. The team should change its nickname and its personnel, judging by its perfomance on the field. :)

[marchamlin]

You've offended my people.

[opprobrious]

Sorry 'bout that but probably not as much as the players.:o