NYS mascot ban: Wyandanch district announces new mascot name; Massapequa seeks deadline extension

Wyandanch school officials announced Friday that they had chosen a new mascot name, making the district the latest to comply with the state's ban on Native American mascots and other imagery in public schools.

Superintendent Erik Wright wrote in a letter to the community that the district has selected Wolves as their new name, replacing the current Warriors name.

The name was chosen after a series of community surveys and forum discussions, he said. Wright had said last week that the district had narrowed down their choices to the Dragons, Panthers and Wolves.

"The selection of the Wolves mascot was the clear front-runner through these surveys, and we believe it will serve as a symbol of strength, unity and pride for current and future generations of Wyandanch students," Wright wrote in Friday's letter.

The district has already taken steps to do away with its old mascot, which portrayed a Native American in a headdress. Wright said the district will again seek community input as they choose a design for their new mascot. 

"In the coming weeks, the district will develop a matrix that will serve as the basis for the selection of our wolf mascot," he wrote. "The winning design will be chosen by a committee and will ultimately serve as the inspiration for the official mascot image that will be used across our school community."

Extension sought in Massapequa

The state Board of Regents in 2023 banned the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. Districts were given until the end of June to comply with the regulation.

The mandate affected 13 districts on Long Island, most of which have taken steps to retire their mascots and names.

The Wyandanch, Wantagh, Connetquot and Massapequa districts had challenged the mandate in federal court, seeking to either keep their names or nullify the state regulation, Newsday has reported. A federal judge ruled against the districts in March, but the Wantagh, Wyandanch and Connetquot districts filed appeals. The Massapequa district, which goes by the name Chiefs, has filed an amended complaint.

State education officials confirmed last week that the Wantagh and Connetquot school districts have been granted deadline extensions, Newsday previously reported.

The state Education Department said this week that the Massapequa district is also seeking an extension.

Massapequa school officials said in a statement that the district sent a letter to the department on Tuesday "demanding a suspension of enforcement" of what it called a "discriminatory regulation."

The district cited the findings of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which determined that the mascot ban violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the findings during a news conference at Massapequa High School on May 30, after President Donald Trump publicly expressed his support for the district on social media.

"Enforcement of this regulation, in light of this federal determination, would compel the District to act in direct violation of federal law," the district stated in the letter.

The federal education department said the ban was discriminatory because it only applied to Native American mascots and team names, while allowing imagery that referenced "other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots.' "

Massapequa officials said in their letter, "The District cannot, under any circumstances, lawfully engage in discriminatory conduct against Indigenous individuals, groups, students, employees, or residents — nor can it erase or suppress Indigenous cultural identity at the direction of the Regents." 

A spokesman for the state Education Department said the extension request is under consideration.

Connetquot explores its options

Wantagh will now have an additional year to comply with the regulation, while Connetquot’s deadline will be March 1, state officials said. The upstate Avon Central School District in Livingston County has also received an extension through Oct. 1. 

In a letter to the community Thursday, Connetquot schools Superintendent Joseph T. Centamore said the district is "exploring options for an alternative mascot name that remains relatable to our community, such as 'Thunder,' while maintaining imagery that feels familiar to our history, including the lightning bolt and eagle-like bird."

The district's current nickname is the Thunderbirds.

Centamore said a committee will be formed for the selection of the final mascot, name and design. The board of education will also send out a survey and has created an email address, mascot@ccsdli.org, to gather input from community members, he wrote.