FREEBURG, Ill. – A long-standing mascot tradition in Freeburg, Illinois, could soon come to an end, as a new bill in the Illinois General Assembly would ban school mascots that reference disabilities.

For nearly nine decades, Freeburg High School has proudly been the home of the Mighty Midgets. While some say the name is outdated and offensive, others argue it’s a proud part of the town’s history.

“It’s a tradition that’s been going on since the thirties and was not meant to be disrespectful,” said Madlynn Robbs, Freeburgh High School employee.

The bill states that schools must remove all mascots, logos and imagery related to the name and select a new mascot.

The mascot’s origin date backs to the ‘30s, when a local sportswriter coined the nickname after the basketball team—despite having no player taller than 5-foot-10—defeated a much taller, undefeated opponent.

Advocacy groups, like Mascots Matter, pushed for years to remove the mascot, arguing it is offensive to people with Dwarfism. And while some Freeburg residents are outspoken, others fear backlash for supporting the change.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to change it after all these years. I mean, I live right across the street from the high school and we always see the sign and it doesn’t offend us at all. And after all these years, I think it would be very odd to change it,” said resident Bonnie McCain. No one would know who it is.”

Locals stated that a few years ago, members of Little People of America protested outside the school, urging the district to reconsider the name. Residents propose that a local election should determine the reconsideration of the name.

“If our town voted on this at the next election thing we have, then fine. If the majority agrees, we should get rid of it,” Robbs said. “That’s fine but i don’t think people feel that way. People are proud of the midgets! I don’t mean that to be condescending!”

If passed, the legislation would not only impact Freeburg but four other schools with the same mascot by 2028. 

Freeburg has not yet commented on whether it will fight to keep the name or prepare for change.