Utah man demands school change over mascot name sounding like 'penises'

Nov. 15 (UPI) -- A Utah parent has started a petition to change a new high school's mascot because he thinks the plural version of phoenix sounds too much like the word "penises."

"I am starting this petition on behalf [of] many concerned students and parents in our community whose children will be attending the new Farmington High School," Kyle Fraughton wrote in his change.org petition, which has amassed over 3,000 signatures.

"We were horrified to hear that the phonetics of the word Phoenices are far too close to the word penises," Fraughton wrote. "I don't mean to be crass, but don't want there to be confusion around the point I am trying to make."

Phoenices, along with phoenixes, is one of the acceptable plural versions of phoenix.

The mascot was chosen by children who live in the Davis School District, where Farmington High School will open for the 2018-2019 school year.

Davis School District Spokesman Chris Williams explained to the Salt Lake Tribune that the district has already reached out to other schools who use the phoenix as a mascot, noting that other schools only use the singular form of phoenix in place of the plural one.

"He's entitled to his opinion," Williams said of the petition. "We don't agree with it at all."

Fraughton told KUTV in Utah that he thinks the situation is humorous.

"The whole thing is kind of funny," he said. "I understand that this is not the most serious thing in the world."