Notre Dame leprechaun considered offensive, according to survey

The leprechaun is the latest sports mascot to draw public ire over claims of cultural appropriation.

A new survey by Quality Logo Products, a sports apparel company, listed Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish leprechaun as the fourth-most offensive college football team mascot in the nation, according to results published in the Indianapolis Star.

After the results were published, a representative from Notre Dame emailed IndyStar with a written statement to defend its use of the leprechaun.

“It is worth noting … that there is no comparison between Notre Dame’s nickname and mascot and the Indian and warrior names (and) mascots used by other institutions such as the NFL team formerly known as the Redskins,” the statement said.