Friday, July 18, 2025
The Wantagh School District has been granted more time to comply with the state’s mascot policy, as the U.S. Department of Education has referred an investigation of the policy to the Department of Justice.
The investigation is directed at the New York State Education Department and the Board of Regents, and the federal Education Department is now claiming that the mascot policy is an “unlawful attempt to ban mascots and logos that celebrate Native American history.” The Department of Education announced the involvement of the DOJ on June 17.
The referral follows the State Education Department and Board of Regents’ rejection of a resolution agreement proposed by the federal Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. The agreement aimed to bring the state into compliance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by rescinding the ban on Native American mascots and logos. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally funded education programs on the basis of race, color or national origin.
In April 2023, the state Board of Regents voted unanimously to ban Native American mascots, logos and team names in public schools, and the policy took effect the following month. School districts had until the end of the 2024-25 school year to rebrand and eliminate Indigenous references. Schools that failed to comply risked losing state aid, but could apply for an extension if they showed an effort to meet the requirements.
Wantagh was granted a one-year extension by the state, which moved the deadline for full compliance to June 30, 2026. The extension, according to a June 6 letter issued by the district, will give administrators additional time to address the changes required to comply with the policy.
While the district is open to removing Native American imagery, Wantagh is committed to preserving the “Warrior” name, and is challenging the mandate in federal court.
“We are closely monitoring ongoing discussions between federal and state education authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice,” Wantagh Superintendent John McNamara said in a statement. “The outcome of this federal review may have important implications for school districts affected by New York State’s mascot regulation, including our own.”
The Massapequa School District also requested an extension, which was denied by the State Education Department, according to news reports. Its nickname is the Massapequa Chiefs, and the district logo features a Native American wearing a headdress.
Opposition to the mandate has grown among several Long Island districts, including Wantagh, which joined Wyandanch, Connetquot and Massapequa in filing a federal lawsuit last fall. The suit was dismissed in March by Chief U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie, who ruled that the districts lacked legal standing to sue under the Fourteenth Amendment and did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims.
In April, however, President Trump weighed in on the mascot controversy on social media, expressing his support for the Massapequa district’s keeping its team name and logo.
“Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population,” Trump stated in an April 28 post on Instagram. “The School Board, and virtually everyone in the area, are demanding the name be kept. It has become the School’s identity and, what could be wrong with using the name, ‘Chief’?”
Linda McMahon, the U.S. Secretary of Education, said that both the State Education Department and the Board of Regents violated federal antidiscrimination law by prohibiting the use of Native American mascots while allowing mascots of European origin.
“Both of these entities continue to disrespect the people of Massapequa by refusing to come into compliance with the Office for Civil Rights’ proposed agreement to rectify their violations of civil rights law,” McMahon said in a statement. “We will not allow New York state to silence the voices of Native Americans, and discriminatorily choose which history is acceptable to promote or erase.”
The office opened the Title VI investigation on April 25. McMahon visited Massapequa High School on May 30, where she announced that the investigation had been completed, and determined that the Board of Regents’ mascot policy violated Title VI.
“This represents another major step towards victory in Massapequa’s fight against New York State,” the Massapequa School District said in a statement. “We look forward to prevailing in court and invalidating the State’s unconstitutional, discriminatory regulation. In Massapequa, we are Chiefs. That’s not changing anytime soon.”
J.P. O’Hare, the State Education Department’s communications director, described the investigation as “a farce” and “a blatant attempt to do a political favor for the Massapequa Board of Education.”
“Our education communities, all of them, should reflect respect, not indolent symbolism masquerading as tradition,” O’Hare said in a statement. “To date, with the exception of four school districts that have contacted us to request an extension, every school district in New York, 727 of them, has engaged in the community-driven process to rebrand their team names, mascots and logos.”
Members of the Shinnecock Nation have argued that Indigenous people should not be used as mascots, calling the practice demeaning and outdated. Josephine Smith, director of the Shinnecock Cultural Resources Department, has said that such symbols reduce Native people to stereotypes.
“Rather than wrestling over mascots, maybe we could all focus on what’s paramount,” O’Hare said, “ensuring our schools are inclusive and respectful for every student.”
