George Washington University is bailing on its nickname ... saying Wednesday it's set to retire its "Colonials" moniker as well as its fluffy "George" mascot ... in wake of inclusivity concerns.
In announcing the decision Wednesday, school officials said they made the choice after members of its campus and its community repeatedly expressed displeasure over the "Colonials" name for years.
Opponents of the name, according to a special committee the university tasked with analyzing the moniker, said, in part, that the term "Colonial" so closely associated with "people who oppressed Native Americans and owned slaves" that it should be changed.