School board files lawsuit to keep Warriors name

The Wantagh School District is taking its fight to the courtroom to keep its traditional Warriors nickname.

The Wantagh Board of Education filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Regents on Sept. 29, challenging the constitutionality of a state resolution that prohibits the use of indigenous team names, mascots and logos by public schools. The Wyandanch School District has joined Wantagh in filing suit.

“This evening, the board has agreed to file litigation against (the Board of Regents) to continue using the ‘Warrior’ nickname with rebranded imagery,” the Wantagh board said in a statement.

The Board of Regents voted unanimously on April 18 to adopt the resolution, which went into effect the following month. School districts have until the end of the 2024-25 school year to rebrand their imagery to eliminate any indigenous references, according to the state board. Failure to comply after the deadline could result in the loss of state aid, but schools can apply for an extension if they demonstrate that they are making an effort to remove any indigenous references.

According to the suit, the Wantagh district still plans to change mascots and logos to remove any Native American-associated imagery, but the district wants to retain the Warriors nickname, which the suit states is a universal cultural symbol, and not just a Native American one.

Reached for comment on the lawsuit, the state education department said it could not provide a statement due to pending litigation.

Since the resolution went into effect, schools across the state have been in the process of changing any Native American imagery, many of which include a Warriors nickname.

According to the Wantagh school board, in April the state education department granted the Chenango Valley Central School District in Binghamton a pass to use the Warrior nickname. According to a letter from Chenango Valley district officials, their Warrior name has European roots, and the state education department determined the name was not connected with indigenous nations or people.

“Through its own decision-making, (the state education department) has granted at least one district in New York State the opportunity to continue its use of the ‘Warrior’ nickname,” the Wantagh board said in a statement, “and we are simply asking for equal consideration and opportunity.”

The Wantagh Warriors name and logo, depicting a profile of a Native American, dates to 1956. In addition to sports teams, the name is also used for the school’s online news site and is placed on school apparel. In a letter to Betty Rosa, commissioner of the State Education Department, State Sen. Steve Rhoads said the name honors Wantagh’s history of Native American roots, though some feel there are more appropriate ways to honor that history.

Shinnecock nation, one of the oldest self-governing tribes in the state, said the use of names, logos and mascots that imply references to indigenous cultures is insulting and dehumanizes native people and their traditions.

“Mascots of a people or culture is not an honoring,” Josephine Smith, director of the Cultural Resources Department of Shinnecock nation, said in a statement. “Indigenous people are not things to bring good luck, are not fictional characters, are not to be used to represent your town, school, sport team, organization or business.”

According to Smith, use of indigenous references does not teach respect for ethnicity and culture, but there are ways to appropriately do so.

“Honor the native people of an area by acknowledging the land, waters and people of an area,” Smith added. “Honor the native people of an area by teaching curriculum developed with native people of the area.”

The Wantagh school board said filing the suit is in line with the feedback received from the community. In July, the school board released the results of a mascot survey, which drew responses from more than 900 participants. The results showed that more than 88 percent of the respondents want the school board to maintain the Warriors identity and almost 75 percent requested that the school board challenge the state’s decision.

“We fully believe that we can undergo a successful rebrand of the ‘Warrior’ nickname and will continue to stand with our community in an effort to maintain that identity,” the Wantagh school board said in the statement.