Residents, alumni voice opinions on 'Warriors' name change in Amityville school district

A handful of residents and alumni of the Amityville school district voiced opinions about keeping the district’s “Warriors” logo and slogan at a community forum held Wednesday in response to the state Education Department’s decision to ban the use of Native American mascots, team names and imagery.

The district, like others across the state, has until June 30 to inform the state of its decision. School officials encouraged residents and alumni to comment but said that a decision would not be made at the forum held at Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School.

Resident John “Hal” Schad , one of about five people who spoke, brought a 1960 yearbook to the meeting and said the Warriors name goes back decades in the district without the use of Native American imagery. The yearbook cover showed a Roman soldier.

“Warrior simply means people who are fighting hard for what they believe in,” said Schad, a 1960 graduate of Amityville who also served as a board president.

Prior Amityville officials had said the district was hoping to keep its "Warriors" team name. Amityville has phased out its Indian head logo on uniforms, fields and buildings over the past several years.

Wednesday, board member Juan Leon said the 1960 yearbook shows that the district has a long history of using the Warriors name and it should be kept. “I believe the word warrior describes the fighting spirit of a proud community,” he said.

Board vice president Jeannette Santos said that her granddaughter is in the high school and is proud of the Warrior name. “I will fight who I have to fight to keep the name Warrior,” Santos said.

She also said the state should cover costs if the district is forced to change its name.

Cherese Hinckson-Foster, a 1997 graduate and now a Coram resident, said that she didn’t mind a name change but if the district does try to keep the Warriors name “we need to get back to when we were Warriors and how we really felt,” adding that there was a stronger sense of community when she was a student.

At least 13 Long Island districts will be affected by the ban. Districts must agree, by resolution, to change their name and mascot, and to eradicate any references by the end of this school year. Districts will have until the end of the 2024-25 school year to implement the changes or risk loss of state aid and the removal of school officers.

David Frank, assistant commissioner with the state Education Department, said on April 21 that the ban would extend to names such as “Warriors,” “Braves” and "Thunderbirds" if the school ever associated the name with indigenous imagery. 

"If any team, mascots, logos or names have any connection to indigenous nations or peoples, either at the present time or in the past, they need to change their team name," he said.

Comsewogue, Wantagh and Wyandanch also use the "Warriors" team name.

Wantagh school officials posted on the district website that it had requested to keep the name but was denied.

“Although the district would like to keep the Warrior name and rebrand it, NYSED has stated that the district is not permitted to do so,” read a note to the community dated June 15.

The district said it will consider public input in rebranding its team name and logos including surveying the school community.

“A committee will be formed and will be largely student driven to develop concepts for a new logo. These ideas for the logo will then be shared with the Board of Education and a decision will ultimately be made on which concept to pursue. The district will then consult with professional graphic artists to develop the new imagery,” read the note. 

Wantagh school officials estimated it would cost more than $652,000 to replace all imagery and logos on district property.

By Joie Tyrrell

joie.tyrrell@newsday.com@JoieTyrrell

Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.