MONTVALE, N.J.—Following nearly three hours of emotional debate March 8, plus efforts by several trustees to delay the naming of new school mascots, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education voted, 5–4, to approve the Pascack Valley Panthers and the Pascack Hills Broncos.
The votes followed a motion to table the decision and passionate pleas by several trustees—and a dozen residents—to relaunch the process when students are fully back at school and/or when the pandemic is over.
Passage also led to the district’s four mayors weighing in to slam the selection process and call for an independent investigation.
Voting in favor of the new mascots were Vice President Janet Bissinger, Michael Fronte, President Tammy Molinelli, James Stankus and Gini Varghese. Opposing the mascots’ resolution were Joseph Blundo, Kelly Blundy, Kristin Martin and Michael Weaver.
Of 20-plus public commenters, several supported the change and pointed out the former Hills’ Cowboy and Valley Indian as examples of racist, non-inclusive mascots. However, many callers and several trustees called the selection and voting processes flawed, praising the students’ efforts but criticizing the process and end results.
Many opposed cited the students who did not vote—approximately 25% of students/staff at both high schools—as indicative of that group’s lack of support for either mascot option. Other trustees said all students had the opportunity to vote and not voting was not indicative of dissatisfaction.
However, Pascack Valley student representative Vasili Karalewich—speaking for himself—criticized the process after he presented the school mascot choice. He said he felt the committee did not represent the school well. He said students not on the committee were not heard during the process and needed to be surveyed but never were.
He said he would have spoken up for the process to be more inclusive “if I knew then what I know now.” He said the committee did a great job but “what we were being asked to do was not representative of the student body’s view of what the school mascot should be.”
Most callers wanted the board to delay a vote, or not change mascots, or simply hold off the vote for another day. This was necessary, many said, to begin to heal the community following so much divisiveness and continuing anger over the mascot decision.
Callers included students and upset parents, and a couple of alumni in their 80s who were there when the Pascack Valley chose its Indian mascot.
Alumnus Tom Crowley, 82, said he was “very sad” to see the Indian go and Walt Franton noting that too many places were trying to “erase history” and called the mascot changes “a little too far…going on the wrong path.”
River Vale resident Dina O’Brien said the process was “not inclusive” to all students and that students at both schools were not surveyed about what they wanted. She said students were “upset by the idea of a name change,” and that she speaks “for many, many people in the community.”
Montvale resident Carolee Adams criticized Superintendent P. Erik Gundersen, alleging he “did not act in the right way” by letting certain students know in advance about the June 22, 2020 board meeting where trustees voted to “retire” the mascots.
The board voted unanimously June 22 to retire the mascots, noting their offensiveness and lack of inclusion.
Despite steady and ongoing pushback against the mascots’ retirement by students, parents and taxpayers—plus two letters from the district’s four mayors—the board never reconsidered its decision. In addition, two incumbent trustees who supported the decision were defeated handily in fall’s non-partisan school board elections.
Adams cited a list of complaints, ending with reasons not to change mascots such as “save money and respect for students, taxpayers and all listening tonight.”
Cheryl Groves of River Vale said her sister, an African American, was often called derogatory names when she rode the school bus there and said that kids must be taught right from wrong. She said her son was being schooled remotely and still voted on the mascot. She said the process “was open and fair and the kids have spoken and honor that.”
Hillsdale resident Lenore Styer said the process was “rushed,” a complaint heard from many residents, and that students were only given about two days to make a decision on a final mascot choice.
Gundersen responded that the student mascot committees established their own process, and that the board and administration was “flexible” in when the students were to finish the process.
Alice Urbiel, of Hillsdale, voiced support for the students’ mascot choices and said she has followed the process since last summer, noting “just because you don’t like the result doesn’t mean that the process wasn’t transparent or democratic.”
Jennifer Falcoff of River Vale said mascots were chosen from “a process not 100% transparent” and said the board could better spend its time getting students back in school and not worry about rebranding schools. “Pascack Valley has an opportunity to say we will not be part of ‘cancel culture’…we can’t cancel history,” she said.
Gundersen said the administration’s efforts are focused on getting kids back into school, and the mascot selections have not taken up a lot of school time.
In trustees’ own words
Board member Michael Weaver said he felt it would be better for both schools to be known as Pascack, and each designated as “Hills” or “Valley” on uniforms until further action is necessary. He said the schools were “far from united in our thinking” on mascots and that there was “no connection” between the Panthers and Broncos mascots.
Weaver said he would not support the return of the Cowboy and Indian mascots. He also noted that estimates to replace the existing mascots on uniforms, one end zone, and wrestling mats and signage in schools will cost an estimated $276,000.
Trustee Joseph Blundo of River Vale said district residents were “unsettled” about the new mascot changes. He charged the selection process “was extremely flawed and manipulated and felt an obligation to question that.”
He exchanged words with Gundersen over what funds not expended on sports transportation and fees due to the pandemic could be used for instead of mascots’ rebranding. Gundersen said the funds were put aside at the direction of the board following summer meetings on the mascots.
Trustee Michael Fronte said a commitment was made to change the mascots last June and should be followed through on. He said “I do feel bad because whatever we decide there’s going to be a lot of unhappy people.”
Trustee Kristin Martin said the mascot selection process “created a great divide, (was) disheartening and unproductive.” She said she was “disappointed with the tactics being used now.” She said she did not feel students “were heard in the process” and that the divisiveness the issue has caused in the district “is very sad.”
Molinelli, of Woodcliff Lake, pushed to take a vote on the issue, noting the “mascot issue is just a distraction that’s been going on for many years” and that proceedings on the issue “have been transparent and inclusive.”
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