Amherst College decides to drop controversial Lord Jeff mascot

AMHERST, Mass. -- Amherst College trustees have voted to stop using Lord Jeff as the school's unofficial mascot because of its negative historical connotations.

The mascot is named for 18th-century British Gen. Jeffery Amherst, known for suggesting a plan to deliver smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans. Amherst was the commander of British forces in North America during the French and Indian War.

Trustees Chairman Cullen Murphy said in a statement Tuesday that the mascot is "driving people apart because of what it symbolizes to many in our community." He says a mascot's job is to unify.

Murphy acknowledged many students and alumni are attached to the mascot. But surveys found that most faculty and students favored dropping it.

He says an alumni-student group will be assembled to come up with a new mascot.

CBS affiliate WSHM spoke to students over the few months who were upset about the mascot.

Katie Warshaw said then that the change was needed.

"I'm definitely pro getting rid of the Lord Jeff. If it makes any student feel uncomfortable, then we should get rid of it. It has a dark history and I don't think that's representative of our school," she said.

"The mascot should be something that's representative of the student body and what our values are and the actions of Lord Jeff are something I can't condone or feel comfortable having as a symbol to rally around," said Ashwin Balaji, an Amherst College Freshman.

Other students like Kemi Okome told WSHM they felt the same.

"I don't understand how somebody could identify with Lord Jeff, didn't do a lot of great things. He's just frankly a bad person," said Okome.

A multitude of professional sports teams, colleges and even high schools have ignited national debate in recent years over their offensive nicknames and imagery.

Many of these mascot controversies center around teams using caricatures or slurs that people perceive as ethnically stereotyping Native Americans. Teams, such as the Washington Redskins and the Florida State University Seminoles, have often come under fire for their team names.