LIBERTY – The Liberty Mascot Committee was tasked with finding a new symbol for the Liberty Central School District to replace their current “Indians” logo, and after months of public comment and community votes,  the committee unanimously voted on May 25 to recommend that the next symbol for the school should be the Liberty Redhawks.

The Committee’s recommendation is not yet final, and must be fully approved before the Board of Education on June 13 before it becomes the official choice. The district has until the start of the 2025 school year before any official changes are made, in order to be in accordance with the New York State Department of Education’s new guidelines regarding the barring of using Native American imagery in that way.

The committee narrowed down the choice between four options presented to them earlier this month, which included the Wolves, the Lions, the Phoenix, and the tentative choice, the Redhawks. 

In the Democrat’s previous report, it was reported by the district Superintendent, Dr. Patrick Sullivan, that the costs for the anticipated changes are already budgeted for the next school year, and the anticipated expenses are being allotted $500,000 to cover the cost of replacing athletic jerseys, flags, and other iconography of anything “Indian” related.

According to an announcement put out by the district, the mascot design, details, and logo are yet to be determined and are expected to be revealed at a later date.