A pair of trustees with the Greater Essex County District School Board are requesting a formal apology from senior staff on the way the name change at Riverside Secondary School was handled.
Cathy Cooke and Gale Simko-Hatfield represent the school and brought a number of issues before the board Tuesday night calling the report on the name change "flawed" and "written in a hasty manner."
Some believe the Rebel name to be offensive and the decision to remove it was made by administration without any consultation with trustees or the community.
Cooke says many in the community are not happy.
"Since this has happened, trustee Hatfield and myself have received many emails, phone calls with people not being happy with the report or with the way this was handled. Community was not consulted including students, alumni or staff."
She says those with knowledge of the school and the area should have been utilized.
"In many people's opinions, that report was done without any help from people that know the past of Riverside, know the history of Riverside. Even the definition of rebel, there is 19 definitions of rebel, the first 17 definitions are positive."
Cooke says the issue could have been handled much better.
"On behalf of the Riverside Secondary community and trustee Hatfield, we're requesting a public apology, not only on the website, but an apology shared via a press release to the Riverside community including present students, alumni and staff."
Cooke also pointed out false information in the report attempting to tie the use of a feather in the Rebel logo to anti-Indigenous hate when the symbol portrayed is in fact a quill used for writing.
Administration did agree to correct the report, but did not give an answer on issuing a formal apology to the Riverside school community.
The board is currently conducting a review all school names and mascots across the entire system with a report due back in September.