TOLEDO, Ohio — The Bowsher High School Rebels will now be known as the Bowsher Blue Racers.
More than 2,000 people signed an online petition in support of changing the mascot from Rebels to "something more modern" and inclusive.
On Wednesday, members of the committee that worked to change the Bowsher High School mascot announced the results of the new mascot.
The blue racer is a nonvenomous snake that can be found in Swan Creek Metropark.
The image of the Rebel that alumni at Bowsher wanted gone showed a Confederate soldier on a horse, which they say represents years of oppression.
There have been talks of changing the mascot since June of this year. The committee said they had received several hundred submissions of what the mascot change should be.
The committee said it was important to them to keep the school colors the same and pick a mascot that would represent all the school's sports teams well.
Bowsher High School officials say they are excited to start branding the school as the Bowsher Blue Racers.
