Utah High School Board Rejects Cougars Nickname Because It’s Offensive to Women

The Canyons District school board in Utah rejected the “Cougars” nickname for a new high school because they deemed it offensive towards women, FOX 13 in Salt Lake City reports.

Future students at Corner Canyon High School in Draper had the opportunity to vote on potential mascots and school colors. Their mascot choices were Cougars, Chargers, Diamondbacks, Falcons, Raptors, Broncos, Bears and Cavaliers.

Cougars had won with 23% of the vote, but the school board rejected it because they considered it to be a derogatory term towards women. They also said that the Cougars is the nickname for BYU and three Utah high schools, so they wanted something different.

Now students will attend Corner Canyon High School (opening in fall of 2013), the proud home of the Chargers. Maybe it’s just me, but I think Chargers is an offensive term towards people in debt.

Cougar, by the way, is a term used by some to describe middle-aged women who chase younger men. I’m sure that’s exactly what students had in mind when they picked the nickname.

Thanks to Prep Rally for sharing the fantastic story.