Report: Chief Wahoo lawsuit may force Indians to abandon logo in Toronto
A case surrounding the Cleveland Indians' controversial Chief Wahoo logo could lead to the club abandoning any logo on its jerseys the next time the club travels to Toronto.
Last month, Jo-Anne Pickle - an arbitrator for the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario - ruled that a case filed by Canadian indigenous rights activist Douglas Cardinal was approved and will move forward, according to A.J. Perez of USA Today Sports.
A court hearing could take place by the end of 2017.
"From our standpoint, our client is not asking for something that’s impractical," said Paul-Erik Veel, a lawyer representing Cardinal in the claim. "They have uniforms that don’t use the particular logo and simply have the name 'Cleveland' and a 'C' on them already."
Related: MLB 'making progress' with Indians on dropping Chief Wahoo logo
MLB, the Indians, and Rogers Communications - owner of the Blue Jays - separately disputed the claim, arguing the Chief Wahoo logo was not offensive and didn't cause any issues involving human rights.
The claim was filed in October 2016 when the Indians traveled to Toronto during the American League Championship Series. At the time, the Ontario Superior Court denied the motion, which led to Cardinal to continue with two other legal actions - one with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and one with the federal court level with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Barring a postseason matchup, the Indians aren't set to face the Blue Jays in Toronto until 2018, after which the case is already expected to be resolved.