Franklin & Marshall College said it was looking for a new 'gender-neutral' mascot — and got absolutely torched

Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is looking for a new mascot.

The private school's Mascot Working Group page in September read that "our goal is to give it a form that is fun, gender-neutral, and full of personality ..."

'In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century.'

The headline of a WHP-TV story published last week said as much: "Franklin & Marshall College embarks on search for gender-neutral mascot."

As you might expect, Facebook users who commented on the WHP story — as well as the accompanying question, "What do you think Franklin & Marshall College's new mascot should be?" — blasted the school's woke criteria. To wit:

• "The Franklin and Marshall Snowflakes has a nice ring to it," one commenter opined.
• "How about a sheep," another user offered.
• "That’s the least of their problems," another commenter said. "Maybe The Cucks or The Laughables?"
• Good grief!!!!!!!" another user exclaimed.
• "A worm?" another commenter suggested.
• "Please explain why?" another user wondered. "This is what’s wrong with everything. What are they trying to prove by doing this?"

RELATED: 'Inseminated person': Wisconsin Gov. Evers tries to erase mothers with gender-neutral language overhaul

Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

As it happens, as of Tuesday the "gender-neutral" reference was no longer on F&M's Mascot Working Group page.

Blaze News on Tuesday reached out to Franklin & Marshall College to inquire why "gender-neutral" was gone from the Mascot Working Group page, as well as why folks costumed as founding father Benjamin Franklin and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall — the school's namesakes — no longer are appropriate or suitable mascots.

Franklin & Marshall sent the following reply to Blaze News on Tuesday afternoon:

Franklin & Marshall College regrets any misunderstanding or mischaracterization regarding criteria guidelines for mascot idea submissions, which has since been clarified on our website. The guidance shared with the F&M community, then and now, encourages mascot recommendations that take the form of creatures, animals, and figures, which is very typical of mascots for universities and sports teams.

The college’s prior mascots, “Ben” and “John,” were retired several years ago. A student-led initiative to develop a dynamic new mascot began during the 2024-25 academic year. At the same time, other campus constituents collectively expressed a desire for a new mascot that would bring renewed energy and enthusiasm to campus and athletic events.

Our intention has always been to identify a mascot that reflects the public leadership and spirit of Ben Franklin and John Marshall as our namesakes and to be inspired by our mascot, the Diplomat. The decision to create a new physical form for the mascot is an opportunity to represent our community spirit in a way that will champion F&M on campus, on the athletic field, and beyond.

Others at Franklin & Marshall have expressed rather pointed opinions about the "Ben" and "John" mascots.

Take an op-ed from F&M's student newspaper penned by one of its editors just a year ago titled, "Ben and John, It’s Time to Say Goodbye." In it, the author refers to the Ben Franklin and John Marshall mascots as "cartoonish, old white guys" who look "a little creepy."

The author also acknowledges that after three years she's never actually seen the "Ben and John [mascots] in the flesh. Why? It turns out, these mascots are taking some time off and have not been spotted in years. Rumor has it they might be replaced, too."

The op-ed also states:

In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century. John Marshall was racist and fought to keep slavery in the United States, and while Benjamin Franklin was well known for being an abolitionist, he once owned slaves and held racist views, too. As more people become aware of their racist histories, now seems like the right time for a mascot change. Franklin and Marshall founded our college, but our wonderful community can be represented by so much more than just their names. We are Diplomats, after all, and you don’t have to be the ghost of a white man to be a diplomat.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!