The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the New York Department of Education (NYDOE) Friday over a Long Island high school’s mascot.
The NYDOE banned Native American-inspired logos and mascots for high school sports teams, which has made Massapequa School District on Long Island a target due to its continued use of the Chiefs mascot name.
A 2022 mandate by the NYDOE demands that all public schools retire Native American mascots or risk losing state funding. Four Long Island school districts, including Massapequa, filed a lawsuit challenging the order, but a federal judge dismissed the case.
Now, the Trump administration is getting involved.
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“The U.S. Department of Education will not stand by as the state of New York attempts to rewrite history and deny the town of Massapequa the right to celebrate its heritage in its schools,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in an announcement Friday.
“While New York chooses to prioritize erasing Native Americans, their rich history and their deep connection to the state, it is requiring schools to divert time and resources away from what really matters: educating our students. It is not lost on the Department that there are several mascots that refer to indigenous or ethnic groups — the Vikings, Fighting Irish, the Cowboys — and yet New York has specifically singled out Native American heritage. We will investigate this matter fully.”
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The announcement of the investigation claims the Native American Guardian’s Association (NAGA) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
The NAGA claims the New York Board of Regents is violating federal civil rights law by forcing the Massapequa School District to eliminate its Chiefs mascot based on its association with Native American culture.
“The Native American Guardian’s Association stands firm in asserting that the preservation of Native themes and imagery in New York public schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity but a fundamental civil right for all students. We call on federal and state leaders to help us defend these dwindling expressions of our presence and contributions,” said Frank Blackcloud, vice president of NAGA.
“Maintaining a respectable presence in NY State schools is vital to educational equity, historical truth and the civil rights of all American Indians.”
The president of the Massapequa Board of Education is quoted in the announcement thanking Trump’s administration for getting involved.
“We thank the Department of Education and the Trump Administration for standing with Massapequa in our effort to preserve the Chiefs name and honor our community’s proud history. We’re especially grateful to the Native American Guardian’s Association for its support and advocacy,” Watcher said.
“Attempts to erase Native American imagery do not advance learning. They distract from our core mission of providing a high-quality education grounded in respect, history and community values.”
Trump previously spoke out in support of the school’s right to maintain its name.
“I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population. 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’? I don’t see the Kansas City Chiefs changing their name anytime soon! By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my highly capable Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue. LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!”
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