Fullerton High alumnus asks trustees to reopen mascot consideration, board declines non‑agenda discussion

Dr. Crane McLaren, a Fullerton High School alumnus and professor at Cal Poly Pomona, used the public‑comment period at the Dec. 9 board meeting to urge trustees to give additional consideration to a proposed Fullerton High mascot name.

McLaren said a name his group proposed — "Stratocasters," or "Strats" for short, referencing the Fender Stratocaster guitar and local history connected to Leo Fender — had been excluded from consideration because the public comment window was short. He asked the board for flexibility so the name could be considered alongside other submissions and said he had prepared a logo as an example.

Board response: The board chair responded that the board may not discuss non‑agenda items during open session and advised McLaren to contact the district office to pursue the matter. No board deliberation or action on the mascot selection occurred at the meeting.

Why it matters: Mascot selection can be a high‑visibility, community‑sensitive process that touches alumni, students and local identity. Public commenters raised concerns about transparency and the timeline for community input.

Representative quote: "The name that I proposed is Stratocasters or Strats for short... Leo Fender, an alum of Fullerton High School, built his company not 6 blocks from the high school..." — Dr. Crane McLaren

Next steps: The board did not take action on the request during the meeting; McLaren was directed to follow up with district staff for any non‑agenda petition or process questions.