Cleveland Guardians settle lawsuit with roller derby team over ‘Guardians’ name

The Cleveland Guardians is now the name for two sports teams in Ohio after a roller derby club with the same title as the Major League Baseball franchise ended its lawsuit, allowing both teams to continue using the “Guardians” moniker.

The two sides reached an “amicable resolution” on Tuesday, officially allowing the MLB team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians to continue its transition to the Cleveland Guardians. No other details of the settlement have been released.

The baseball team, which changed its name after years of critics calling the “Indians” name and mascot racist, will become the Guardians for the upcoming 2022 season.

According to The Associated Press, after announcing it would become the Cleveland Guardians in July, the MLB team filed federal trademark applications and reached out to the roller derby club to inform them of the transition. The roller derby club, which has used the name since 2013, filed its lawsuit on Oct. 27, alleging the baseball franchise had taken “a smaller team’s name and use it for itself.”

Negotiations between the two organizations broke down after the roller derby club refused the MLB franchise’s payment offer.