Norton Calls on Snyder and Goodell to Accept Today’s Court Ruling, Change the Team Mascot and Get Back to Football

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a leader in the effort to cancel the Washington Football Team's trademark, celebrated today's ruling by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee upholding last year's decision by the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that the term "Redskins" is disparaging to Native Americans and therefore is ineligible for federal trademark registration.

"After two federal rulings that canceled the Washington football's team name, I hope that Dan Snyder gets on with his real business of getting the team back in winning form and selecting a new mascot," Norton said. "The national public outcry has been overwhelming and it is clear residents do not want their beloved Washington football team name to be aligned with the disparagement of Native Americans or any other ethnic group. As a former First Amendment lawyer, I have looked closely at Snyder's free speech defense and could find no precedents in federal law that would predict further litigation would be successful. In light of today's ruling, further dependence on the courts could destroy what good will remains for the team and further harm Snyder's own reputation. Surely, these two rulings should summon NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the 29 other NFL team owners, who benefit from our team, to exercise their leadership and hasten what appears to be the inevitable outcome of changing our team's name."

Last year, Norton introduced a bill to prohibit tax-exempt status for professional sports leagues that promote or allow a member club or franchise connected to that league to benefit from the Washington football team name. Norton's bill was the House companion bill to Senator Maria Cantwell's (D-WA) bill. In 2013, Norton and nine other members of Congress sent letters to Goodell, team owner Daniel Snyder, the 31 other NFL franchises, and Washington football team sponsor FedEx, urging a change in the team name.