School board member punched in the face during tense meeting on replacing Native American mascot

Tense meeting in Connecticut descends into fracas between a board member and one of the attending parents

A high school board member was punched in a meeting over whether it should reinstate its controversial Native American themed mascot.

Connecticut Police are investigating the incident, although according to Newsweek, no arrests have been made. The disagreement concerns the possible reintroduction of a ‘Tomahawk’ mascot, which was retired in 2020.

A petition was set up, which has now garnered over 2,500 signatures, calling for the school to reverse its decision, and citing the mascot as a “wonderful symbol to respectfully educate students and residents and respectfully celebrate Native American heritage”.

Fans doing the "tomahawk chop" gesture at an Atlanta Braves baseball game (Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

However, in the midst of a Board of Education meeting, where the issue of the mascot had already been raised, a disgruntled attendee is alleged to have confronted one of the board members.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, held in the Glastonbury High School auditorium, a member of the audience reportedly started yelling.

A brief recess followed, where the man accosted board member Ray McFall, as video footage first published by NBC Connecticut shows. After Mr McFall attempts to push the man away, he responds with a swift punch. Watch the clip for yourself below.

The meeting was adjourned, without the mascot issue being voted on.

“The Board of Education welcomes public comment and appreciates that there will always be passionate testimony when controversial issues are considered,” Glastonbury schools superintendent Alan Bookman said in a statement.

“But it is critical that we listen to each other with respect and follow meeting rules so that everyone can be heard.”

However, board chair Doug Foyle defended the school’s original decision to replace the mascot, stating that they had ultimately “concluded the Tomahawk mascot was not aligned with our district’s goal to promote understanding and respect for all cultures.”

“Instead of uniting our school community, it was dividing it,” he added.