Massapequa Schools To Seek Legal Counsel Amid NY Indigenous Mascot Ban

MASSAPEQUA, NY — The state Board of Regents reportedly voted to unanimously ban schools from using Native American mascots, team names and logos on Tuesday.

One of the schools this directly impacts is Massapequa with its nickname the "Chiefs." The school's Board of Education and Superintendent William Brennan are taking a hardline against the state.

"We have heard from many members of our community upset by this decision, and we stand beside you," they wrote in a letter posted on the website. "We are Massapequa and we will not sit idly by while an unelected group of officials tries to remove our history. We are in the process of reviewing the decision and investigating all options with legal counsel."

As Patch previously reported, the New York Board of Regents had been expected to adopt a regulation fortifying the state Education Department's 22-year-old rule about school mascots, nicknames and imagery based on indigenous people. In 2001, then-Commissioner of Education Richard Mills said the use of Native American symbols or depictions as mascots could become a barrier to building a safe and nurturing school community and improving academic achievement for all students — and recommended districts change as soon as possible.

School districts now have to formally commit to abiding by the new rule by the end of this school year, according to Newsday. Schools have until the end of the 2024-25 school year to remove Native American references from uniforms, scoreboards, fields and buildings on school property.

But Massapequa educators say the town itself is a tribute to centuries of Native Americans.

"From our very name of Massapequa to the many historical plaques located throughout town, we pay our respects to 365 years of history," they said.

Schools that fail to comply with the rule could lose state funding, and officials could lose their jobs, according to the report.