A controversial high school mascot in Killingly is set to be retired later this month.
Earlier this year, the Killingly school board voted to form a committee to look into the Redmen mascot at the high school.
The committee is comprised of students, alumni, teachers, coaches and some board members. They ultimately decided to retire the Redmen mascot during a ceremony on Nov. 26.
The committee's goal is to come up with several new mascot names and share suggestions with the community and students so that they can contribute, too, according to the Board of Education.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
The mascot has been in the spotlight for years. The Redmen mascot was changed to the Red Hawks five years ago.
Some believed Redmen was offensive while others saw it as a source of community pride.
Months after the switch – and with republicans taking over control of the board – the mascot reverted back to Redmen.
Local
That decision wasn't in compliance with state statutes and ended up costing the town about $94,000 because they became ineligible to receive funding from local tribes.
The Redmen mascot will officially retire at the Killingly High School cafeteria between 5 and 7 p.m. While there, people will be able to reminisce with photos from the past.
