diff --git a/gracedb/alerts/tests/test_views.py b/gracedb/alerts/tests/test_views.py
index ae284c5e00a474ab321e25b0021d780ccef07a6b..aeb6e689756a45432ff9f571a3d2ab1f31387606 100644
--- a/gracedb/alerts/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/gracedb/alerts/tests/test_views.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import mock
 import pytest
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
 from django.urls import reverse
 
 from core.tests.utils import GraceDbTestBase
diff --git a/gracedb/api/v1/events/views.py b/gracedb/api/v1/events/views.py
index 8fe188cfdc246d8d14e642cc42c7d70d60d96692..b1bfc1e54bffd99b6790fd2e19ea606879ee8993 100644
--- a/gracedb/api/v1/events/views.py
+++ b/gracedb/api/v1/events/views.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import StringIO
 import urllib
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Permission, Group as AuthGroup
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Permission, Group as DjangoGroup
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.db import IntegrityError
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def group_required(view):
     @wraps(view)
     def inner(self, request, event, group_name, *args, **kwargs):
         try:
-            group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=str(group_name))
+            group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=str(group_name))
         except:
             return Response("Group does not exist.",
                     status=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
diff --git a/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/serializers.py b/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/serializers.py
index bfb2d94633fa84cc12886dc02b6eb07415c8798c..a051d82ec1d4312114b82c996aa4c5f9b43d7b71 100644
--- a/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/serializers.py
+++ b/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/serializers.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import os
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
diff --git a/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/views.py b/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/views.py
index d2d0e4d21e20858c731e8606fdf4d9733a3fa783..5268ad9cd95967cba30a590d0dd2a6ba7bd36e87 100644
--- a/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/views.py
+++ b/gracedb/api/v1/superevents/views.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import os
 
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
 
 from guardian.shortcuts import get_objects_for_user
 from rest_framework import mixins, parsers, permissions, serializers, status, \
diff --git a/gracedb/events/models.py b/gracedb/events/models.py
index 217c7cebc6e2a02c29869b9e96d6870ae082b59d..272a0bcbba94272cc502c3c0b99435b3b48d6aa4 100644
--- a/gracedb/events/models.py
+++ b/gracedb/events/models.py
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
 from model_utils.managers import InheritanceManager
 
-#from django.contrib.auth.models import User as DjangoUser
-#from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 
diff --git a/gracedb/events/view_logic.py b/gracedb/events/view_logic.py
index c55216164e616d924438c2db66d6c2f5e0a64ad8..4261b7ba98ae3ef4b94fe0d09a807bfcfe1f52b9 100644
--- a/gracedb/events/view_logic.py
+++ b/gracedb/events/view_logic.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from core.vfile import VersionedFile
 
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup
 from django.conf import settings
 from guardian.models import GroupObjectPermission
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ def get_lvem_perm_status(request, event):
     # Get the group
     # Returns a tuple: (can_expose, can_protect)
     try:
-        lv_em_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
+        lv_em_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
     except:
         # Something is really wrong.
         return (None, None)
diff --git a/gracedb/events/views.py b/gracedb/events/views.py
index caced391c4448c1a5475eda50eafdbec9e3ee1cc..330a51c645ba1b6aacc574e7a5b51c1117303907 100644
--- a/gracedb/events/views.py
+++ b/gracedb/events/views.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from .forms import CreateEventForm, SignoffForm
 
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import permission_required
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Permission
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from .permission_utils import filter_events_for_user, user_has_perm
 from .permission_utils import is_external, check_external_file_access
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ def modify_permissions(request, event):
 
     # Get the group
     try:
-        g = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=group_name)
+        g = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=group_name)
     except Group.DoesNotExist:
         return HttpResponseNotFound('Group not found')
 
diff --git a/gracedb/ligoauth/middleware.py b/gracedb/ligoauth/middleware.py
index c3214afb8b5c92cdcf030f0e3d4b885f13c7afa6..f70fcfeaf056960cad1f66c3c576d7d10dd627bc 100644
--- a/gracedb/ligoauth/middleware.py
+++ b/gracedb/ligoauth/middleware.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import re
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib import auth
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup
 from django.contrib.auth.middleware import PersistentRemoteUserMiddleware
 from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ class ControlRoomMiddleware(object):
         # Add user to control room group(s)
         for ifo, ip in settings.CONTROL_ROOM_IPS.iteritems():
             if (ip == user_ip):
-                control_room_group = Group.objects.get(name=
+                control_room_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=
                     (ifo.lower() + self.control_room_group_suffix))
                 request.user.groups.through.objects.get_or_create(
                     user=request.user, group=control_room_group)
diff --git a/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_backends.py b/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_backends.py
index 8e853a93d5ac29a0b7f910398c66fddc73b65657..7a485526a60dfd46a6f13133e8ba23107e2af985 100644
--- a/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_backends.py
+++ b/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_backends.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup, User, AnonymousUser
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User, AnonymousUser
 from django.contrib.auth.middleware import AuthenticationMiddleware
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.test import RequestFactory, TestCase
diff --git a/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_middleware.py b/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_middleware.py
index a5856e05e969932fb67e2900eb46187f9501d553..f9d5e462f90530395dd96caeb776567f703dfe47 100644
--- a/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_middleware.py
+++ b/gracedb/ligoauth/tests/test_middleware.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup, User, AnonymousUser
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup, User, AnonymousUser
 from django.contrib.auth.middleware import AuthenticationMiddleware
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.test import RequestFactory
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class TestControlRoomMiddlewareHomeView(GraceDbTestBase):
         super(TestControlRoomMiddlewareHomeView, cls).setUpTestData()
 
         # Create control room group
-        cls.control_room_group, _ = AuthGroup.objects.get_or_create(
+        cls.control_room_group, _ = DjangoGroup.objects.get_or_create(
             name=cls.ifo.lower() + '_control_room')
 
     def test_internal_user_in_control_room(self):
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class TestControlRoomMiddleware(GraceDbTestBase):
         super(TestControlRoomMiddleware, cls).setUpTestData()
 
         # Create control room group
-        cls.control_room_group, _ = AuthGroup.objects.get_or_create(
+        cls.control_room_group, _ = DjangoGroup.objects.get_or_create(
             name=cls.ifo.lower() + '_control_room')
 
     def test_internal_user_in_control_room(self):
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ class TestShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware(GraceDbTestBase):
     def test_group_addition(self):
         """Add a group for a user based on shib group header content"""
         # Create new group for testing
-        new_group = AuthGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
+        new_group = DjangoGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
         # Compile group header
         delim = ShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware.group_delimiter
         groups_str = delim.join([self.internal_group.name, new_group.name])
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ class TestShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware(GraceDbTestBase):
     def test_group_removal(self):
         """Remove a group for a user based on shib group header content"""
         # Create new group, add to user
-        new_group = AuthGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
+        new_group = DjangoGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
         self.internal_user.groups.add(new_group)
 
         # Set up request
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ class TestShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware(GraceDbTestBase):
         r_user.groups.add(self.internal_group)
 
         # Create new group for testing
-        new_group = AuthGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
+        new_group = DjangoGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
         # Compile group header
         delim = ShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware.group_delimiter
         groups_str = delim.join([self.internal_group.name, new_group.name])
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class TestShibbolethWebAuthMiddleware(GraceDbTestBase):
         r_user = RobotUser.objects.create(username='robot.user')
         r_user.groups.add(self.internal_group)
         # Create new group and add robotusre
-        new_group = AuthGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
+        new_group = DjangoGroup.objects.create(name='new_group')
         r_user.groups.add(new_group)
 
         # Set up request
diff --git a/gracedb/search/tests/test_access.py b/gracedb/search/tests/test_access.py
index da1ef46a57121d1e2f0f1446cc8a19fd1f50f00f..77f8317bf836a70d859112c676f68ccb4b36bacf 100644
--- a/gracedb/search/tests/test_access.py
+++ b/gracedb/search/tests/test_access.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import urllib
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup, Permission
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup, Permission
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.urls import reverse
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ class TestEventSearch(EventCreateMixin, GraceDbTestBase, SearchTestingBase):
 
         # Assign default permissions for internal group (also have to create
         # executives group because this perm assign code is TERRIBLE)
-        execs, _ = AuthGroup.objects.get_or_create(name='executives')
+        execs, _ = DjangoGroup.objects.get_or_create(name='executives')
         assign_default_event_perms(cls.internal_event)
         assign_default_event_perms(cls.lvem_event)
 
         # Expose events
-        lvem_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
+        lvem_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
         update_event_perms_for_group(cls.lvem_event, lvem_group, 'expose')
 
     def test_internal_user_search(self):
@@ -168,12 +168,12 @@ class TestEventLatest(EventCreateMixin, GraceDbTestBase):
 
         # Assign default permissions for internal group (also have to create
         # executives group because this perm assign code is TERRIBLE)
-        execs, _ = AuthGroup.objects.get_or_create(name='executives')
+        execs, _ = DjangoGroup.objects.get_or_create(name='executives')
         assign_default_event_perms(cls.internal_event)
         assign_default_event_perms(cls.lvem_event)
 
         # Expose an event to LV-EM
-        lvem_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
+        lvem_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
         update_event_perms_for_group(cls.lvem_event, lvem_group, 'expose')
 
     def test_internal_user_latest(self):
diff --git a/gracedb/superevents/mixins.py b/gracedb/superevents/mixins.py
index 319a9a72b85ac21e7356661b1b53a1782ab6d159..7d62075b373bfd136824fd9cba2e1a8f13e6bfa8 100644
--- a/gracedb/superevents/mixins.py
+++ b/gracedb/superevents/mixins.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import pytz
 
 from django import forms
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
 from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.views.generic.base import ContextMixin
diff --git a/gracedb/superevents/utils.py b/gracedb/superevents/utils.py
index c216b1968d0ceea552296d4f11e236ae29c676c4..a19f42ff61accddb29466cefee3f139fd08a63f3 100644
--- a/gracedb/superevents/utils.py
+++ b/gracedb/superevents/utils.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import os
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.http import Http404
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as AuthGroup
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group as DjangoGroup
 
 from .buildVOEvent import construct_voevent_file
 from .models import Superevent, Log, Labelling, EMObservation, EMFootprint, \
@@ -831,8 +831,8 @@ def expose_superevent(superevent, user, add_log_message=True,
     issue_alert=True):
 
     # Get groups
-    lvem_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
-    public_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.PUBLIC_GROUP)
+    lvem_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
+    public_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.PUBLIC_GROUP)
 
     # Assign permissions which will expose the superevent to LV-EM and the
     # public
@@ -860,8 +860,8 @@ def hide_superevent(superevent, user, add_log_message=True,
     issue_alert=True):
 
     # Get groups
-    lvem_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
-    public_group = AuthGroup.objects.get(name=settings.PUBLIC_GROUP)
+    lvem_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.LVEM_OBSERVERS_GROUP)
+    public_group = DjangoGroup.objects.get(name=settings.PUBLIC_GROUP)
 
     # Assign permissions which will expose the superevent to LV-EM and the
     # public