When Acheiver Academy decided not to apply for Minnesota State High School League membership for the 2014-15 school year, it also decided to change its name. And that has it in some hot water.
The North St. Paul school is attempting to build itself into a hockey-heavy school that hopes to some day rival Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault as the top hockey academy in the state.
The school became Bauer-Emerson Prep Academy this summer, a move that caused hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer Hockey, Inc., to raise its eyebrows.
Bauer Hockey has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. The company is asking Bauer-Emerson to change its name to "avoid further damage to Bauer's reputation and goodwill associated" with its trademarked name. Bauer is also seeking a financial settlement.
Bauer-Emerson co-owners Greg Gartner and Tom Forsythe told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the name was inspired by "bauer," the German word for farmer, which represents a strong work ethic; and "Emerson," in tribute to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the essayist, lecturer and poet from the United States, and his idea of "self reliance."
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Bauer-Emerson's teams will compete in Tier I hockey this year, competing against teams such as Shattuck. They played in the MSHSL last year as Achiever Academy. The school withdrew its girls hockey team from competition on the day of the section championship game after emails sent to the MSHSL raised questions about some players meeting the league's residency requirements.
Bauer Hockey sent a cease-and-desist letter to the school last month. According to the Star-Tribune, the lawsuit says the school rejected the company's request.
