The school board in South Burlington has voted to keep a controversial nickname for its students - the Rebels.
South Burlington High School’s mascot was fashioned as a Confederate soldier back when the high school opened in 1961, in reference to the city’s decision to secede from Burlington years earlier.
The mascot was removed two decades ago, but the nickname – The Rebels – has stuck.
Some South Burlington residents have said that it’s time for the nickname to go too, but last night the city’s school board unanimously voted to keep the name.
Reporter Haley Dover covered last night’s decision for the Burlington Free Press and spoke with VPR about the controversial nickname.
