GREENBELT, Md. (AP) – A federal judge has joined the ranks of those refusing to use the Washington Redskins’ nickname.
U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte (meh-SETT’-ee) issued a pretrial ruling last week in a lawsuit against the team in which he explicitly refused to use the Redskins name. In a footnote, he noted that his refusal to use the name was a conscious decision but did not elaborate.
Lawyers on the case told The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1rbeeNR ) that Messitte also ordered them not to use the name in court hearings.
The name has come under fire as a racial slur. Last month the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled that the name should be stripped of its trademark protection.
Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
