GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 655
Short Title: Ending Offensive Indian Mascots. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Lowery and Huneycutt (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 2, 2025
*H655 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF OFFENSIVE AMERICAN INDIAN MASC OTS IN 2
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-210.4 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 5
"(2b) As part of the annual report and presentation required under subdivision (2a) 6
of this section, the Council shall include information on public school 7
mascots. This information shall include (i) a definition of what the Council 8
finds to be an American Indian mascot and (ii) a list of all known public 9
schools with an American Indian mascot and what the mascot for that school 10
is." 11
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 12
"(50) To Monitor School Mascots. – The State Board of Education shall ensure that 13
no public school in the State uses an American Indian mascot, as defined 14
pursuant to G.S. 115C-210.4(2b). Within 30 days of the presentation of the 15
annual report by the State Advisory Council on Indian Education pursuant to 16
G.S. 115C-210.4, the State Board shall vote on whether it concurs or objects 17
with the Council's finding that a school is using an American Indian mascot. 18
If the State Board concurs with the Council's determination, the State Board 19
shall notify the governing body and the superintendent, or equivalent 20
authority, of the public school unit of the determination and direct that the 21
school's mascot be changed to a non-American Indian mascot within two 22
years." 23
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 115C-276 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 24
"(u) To Monitor School Mascots. – The superintendent shall ensure that no school in a 25
public school unit has an American Indian mascot. If the superintendent has received notice 26
pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(50) that a school's mascot must be changed, the superintendent may 27
give the relevant authorities under existing school or local board policy one year to initiate the 28
process of changing the mascot. If no action has been taken to change the mascot within one year 29
of receiving notice to change the mascot, the superintendent shall have authority to choose a new 30
mascot for the school. If the school continues to have an American Indian mascot two years after 31
receiving notice to change the mascot, the Department of Public Instruction shall determine if 32
the superintendent willfully failed to comply with the requirements of this section and 33
G.S. 115C-12(50). If the Department finds that the superintendent willfully failed to comply, no 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 655-First Edition
State funds shall be allocated to pay the superintendent's salary until the mascot is changed and 1
the Department determines the superintendent is in compliance." 2
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 3
"(p) To Monitor School Mascots. – A charter school shall not have an American Indian 4
mascot. If a charter school has received notice pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(50) that the school is 5
using an American Indian mascot, the school must change the mascot to a non-American Indian 6
mascot within two years of receiving the notice. If the charter school has not changed the mascot 7
within two years of receiving notice to change the mascot, the State Board shall determine if the 8
charter school willfully failed to comply with the requirements of G.S. 115C-12(50). If the State 9
Board finds that the school willfully failed to comply, the State Board shall withhold a per pupil 10
equivalent of the salary of the superintendent of the local school administrative unit in which the 11
charter school is located for each student in membership according to the allotted average daily 12
membership for that year." 13
SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 14
the 2025-2026 school year. 15