State should be flexible on mascot rules

When state education officials announced a ban on Native American mascot names and imagery, they noted one exception: A local, federally recognized tribe could agree to an exemption.

That policy rightly put the decision into the hands of those directly harmed by the inappropriate language and images that still pervade too many schools' sports teams. It meant that school districts couldn't — and shouldn't — attempt to define what's offensive. It also seemed to provide an opportunity for conversation and understanding, a chance for school districts and Native American tribes to develop deeper bonds and transcend the mascot issue.

So, the Wyandanch school district took an important, positive step when it reached out to the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Discussions led Shinnecock chairman Brian Polite to indicate he had no problem with Wyandanch retaining its Warrior nickname while removing any Native American imagery. Polite went as far as calling it "kind of a no-brainer," noting that the name Warrior on its own was not exclusive to Native American culture.

But what sounds like a hopeful new level of agreement seems to have met the buzz saw of bureaucratic inflexibility. State education officials said the agreement came "too late."

To be specific: eight days too late.

The deadline for exemptions, state officials said, was May 3, the day the rule was codified.

That's absurd. Conversations, compromise and change take time. The state itself recognized that when it said changes in mascot names, logos and images didn't need to happen until the end of the 2024-2025 school year. So, if state officials are willing to give schools time to make required fixes, why not allow districts and tribes to arrive at new understandings in a similarly extended time frame?

State officials should rethink their stringent deadline, allow districts and tribes more time to reach agreements, and permit the Wyandanch-Shinnecock compromise to go forward. State education officials told the Newsday editorial board they were "open to amending the regulation" if Native American tribes support it. But they also said the Wyandanch-Shinnecock agreement alone wouldn't lead them to rethink the deadline. They should consider a more nuanced, case-by-case approach.

None of that means that districts should seek unrealistic or inappropriate exceptions, or push a local tribe to give them an out. State officials are correctly concerned about districts that "shop" for exemptions. In the end, most of these mascot names, images and logos should be banned, without exemptions.

But if a tribe and a school district reach an appropriate agreement after a constructive and well-intentioned effort, the state has no reason to stand in the way. Instead, the state should applaud and encourage the effort to find common ground and arrive at new understandings.

For that, it's never too late.