City attorney: Minneapolis can't ban name of DC football team
The Minneapolis City Attorney's office says the city can't ban the name "Redskins" when Washington plays the Vikings at the University of Minnesota next month.
The city attorney concluded Minneapolis has no jurisdiction over speech on property owned by the university because the school is a state — not a municipal — entity.
The Vikings play Washington in an on-campus NFL game on Nov. 2. The Vikings are playing at TCF Bank Stadium for two seasons while the team's new stadium is being built.
Minneapolis City Council members Blong Yang and Cam Gordon say the team's name is a racial slur and should be changed immediately, but that the city lacks the authority for such a ban.
Washington owner Dan Snyder has vowed to never change the name, saying it honors Native Americans.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.