Clairemont High School considers retiring “Chieftains” mascot after California law and community review process

A nearly 70-year tradition faces change amid a statewide ban on specified Native American terms

Clairemont High School is poised to replace its long-standing “Chieftains” mascot name following a district-led review that began in 2025 and culminates with a scheduled vote by the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

The proposed change would rename the school’s teams from the Chieftains to the Captains. If approved, the transition would be implemented across campus branding, a new logo, and athletic uniforms, with the district citing a multi-step community engagement process as the basis for the recommendation.

What prompted the mascot review

The initiative is tied to a 2024 amendment to California’s “California Racial Mascots Act” (AB 3074), which identifies certain words as “derogatory Native American term(s),” including “Chieftains.” The law prohibits most public schools from using any such terms beginning July 1, 2026, while allowing limited continued use of pre-purchased uniforms and materials under specified conditions.

In 2025, San Diego Unified updated its facilities and mascot naming policy (Administrative Regulation and Board Policy 7310) to align with the state law and to set out an internal process for renaming when a school name or mascot is deemed to reflect historical harm or exclusion.

How the new mascot name was selected

District and school leaders described a process spanning nearly a year that included six town hall meetings, an open call for mascot suggestions, and the work of a 10-person committee made up of district personnel and community representatives. The school also conducted a community survey that drew responses from more than 500 participants, with four finalist names rated before a recommendation was advanced.

School leadership has stated that the goal was to identify a name that could represent students across academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

Positions raised by tribal leaders and community members

A letter dated March 15, 2025, from tribal leaders and the district’s Indian Education Program supported retiring the Chieftains name, citing the term’s association with stereotyping and past campus imagery and chants described as harmful to Native and Indigenous students.

At the same time, some alumni and community members have sought to keep the existing name, arguing it reflects school identity and can be paired with education about local tribal history and culture. A public petition opposing the change has circulated since 2025.

What happens next if the board approves the change

• The school would begin adopting the “Captains” name and related branding.
• Updates would extend to signage, logos, and athletic uniforms.
• State law provides a transition window as the statewide prohibition takes effect July 1, 2026.

If approved, Clairemont High would become the first school in the district to complete a mascot change under the updated district policy adopted in response to the 2024 state law.