School board rejects 'Cougar' mascot

Published Jan. 18, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Future students at a Utah high school had their choice of mascot — a cougar — rejected by the school district because it could be seen as offensive to older women.

The students, who in 2013 will attend Corner Canyon High School in Draper just south of Salt Lake City, were asked to vote on their new mascot and school colors, KSTU-TV reported Wednesday.

With 23 percent of the vote, the cougar was the top pick for the mascot, but board members of the Canyons School District expressed concerns over the appropriateness of using a mascot title that, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, can be used as a slang word for "a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man."

Instead the board members chose a war horse as the school mascot noting the alliteration of Corner Canyon Chargers. It was also an image of strength that could unify the community, the board noted.

In making their decision, the school district also cited the fact that three other Utah high schools and Utah's Brigham Young University already used a cougar as their mascot, the FOX-affiliate station reported.