State: Trustees to appeal mascot policy

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Trustees to appeal mascot policy

By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published August 10, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - Enraged Florida State University leaders vowed Wednesday to fight an NCAA finding that its Seminole symbols are "hostile and abusive" to Native Americans.

Meeting in emergency session Wednesday, trustees voted to appeal the policy banning use of Indian symbols at championship events starting in February. They also will ask the governing board of college sports to show what power it had to issue its decision, and directed lawyer Barry Richard to sue the NCAA if needed.

"We are highly insulted by this NCAA action," said Jim Smith, a lawyer, lobbyist, former attorney general and FSU graduate who heads the trustees. "We will not stand by and let this happen without a fight."

The NCAA order, issued a week ago, has galvanized a politically powerful network of FSU boosters, legislators, members of Congress and Gov. Jeb Bush, who called the NCAA edict "a really stupid decision."

FSU President T.K. Wetherell emphasized that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has formally endorsed the use of images such as Chief Osceola, who rides an Appaloosa named Renegade to midfield at home football games.

He said FSU awards academic scholarships to children of tribe members, and the tribe plays a role in all university commencement exercises. For emphasis, the FSU president played a three-minute video showing the Seminole tribal council adopting a resolution in June in support of the "head logo" and other symbols FSU has used for five decades.

In its appeal, Florida State will seek relief from the NCAA Executive Committee, the same panel that issued the original order. Trustee John Thrasher called that a "chicken guarding the chicken coop kind of thing."

Wetherell called it "particularly offensive" that FSU was not given a chance to challenge the policy beforehand, but the NCAA says it allowed Florida State to submit evidence on its behalf last spring.

In an April 29 letter, FSU cited its "close relationship" with the tribe, including tribe participation in homecoming parades and the use of headdresses and other designs.