High court won’t hear appeal on Redskins’ name

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a case involving the Washington Redskins’ name Monday, essentially rejecting an appeal from six Native Americans who said they found the name insensitive.

A previous appeals court had ruled against the plaintiffs on the grounds that they waited too long to bring the case, which challenged the trademarks. Attorneys had asked the Supreme Court to review the case in order to resolve the issue of whether the team name was a derogatory term for Native Americans.

The Redskins’ name was first adopted in 1933, when the team played in Boston. It was known as the Braves in 1932. The franchise relocated to Washington in 1937, and the team received a trademark for the name in 1967.

In 1992, the group of Native Americans petitioned the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the Redskins’ trademarks under a law that forbids trademarks that are disparaging. A federal court ruled in favor of the team in 2003 and 2008, and an appeals court upheld the last ruling in May.

The Supreme Court did not comment.