Wantagh HS To Keep 'Warrior' Name, But Change Logo

WANTAGH, 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 Wantagh.

However, the school district Board of Education said they plan to keep the "Warrior" nickname.

"At this time, it is not the intent of the district to move away from the "Warrior" name, but to develop new imagery that will proudly represent our school community and honor our history, the district said. "The process to develop new imagery will include community feedback through surveys and a committee largely led by our secondary students."

The current Wantagh Warrior image features a Native American man with a feather and mohawk.

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.

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

The Wantagh Board of Education said that they will be "transitioning to a new mascot. This new regulation requires our district to move away from the imagery currently being used. As a result, the district will begin a process to engage with all stakeholders to develop new imagery to represent our "Warrior" nickname."