Amityville hoping to keep 'Warriors' team name despite state's Native American mascot ban

Amityville Superintendent Ed Fale said the district is hoping to keep its "Warriors" team name despite the state's recent ban on the use of Native American mascots, team names and imagery.

The state Board of Regents unanimously passed the ban on April 18, affecting all public schools that use indigenous imagery. It becomes official on Wednesday.

“The name and image were chosen as a tribute to a culture that refuses to be forgotten or dismantled," Fale said via email late last week. "It's the heart and courage of Long Island's indigenous people [and] we endeavor to infuse [it] into each of our students, well beyond our athletic programs. We want our students to remember and embrace that Warrior spirit."

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.

Amityville has phased out its Indian head logo on uniforms, fields and buildings over the past several years. Fale said the district will wait for more specific guidance and hopes that Education Department  Commissioner Betty Rosa will allow the district to keep its name.

"We remain hopeful that the commissioner will allow us to continue using the Warrior name without symbolism." Fale said.

The state Education Department said Tuesday additional guidance from the department is "forthcoming," but that it will mirror the language already in the regulation.

"The Department has been in contact with districts and will continue to provide assistance to any school or district that has questions pertaining to the regulations," a department spokesman said. "Each district will need to review the history and current potential of its team name, mascot, or imagery on a case-by-case basis."

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. Thunderbird is a supernatural creature central to North American indigenous culture.

"The department’s position on this is clear," Frank said at the time. "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."

Comsewogue, Wantagh and Wyandanch also use the "Warriors" team name. Comsewogue and Wantagh have said they hope to keep the name. Wyandanch has not returned requests for comment.

The Wantagh Board of Education is "still in the same wait-and-see spot to keep the Warriors name and remove the imagery," Wantagh Superintendent John McNamara said on Tuesday. "The regulations read one way and then there's been these other comments [from Frank] that extend the regulation further that said we cannot keep the name and remove the imagery. We want to get some clarification on the guidelines and then we'll move forward."

Comsewogue Superintendent Jennifer Quinn said on April 18 the district was consulting with legal counsel.

"We have informed the NYS Education Department, in very clear terms, our disappointment and disagreement," Quinn said.  .

The Massapequa Chiefs also plan to fight the move, saying the Board of Regents "is overextending its reach and removing our local control."

Jay Worona, a lawyer for the state school boards association, said the state has authority to pass the ban under the Dignity for All Students Act, a piece of anti-bullying legislation.

“The predicate the [education department] is relying on [says] they have the ability to control the space here with respect to the way Native American populations, indigenous people are feeling marginalized and not safe,” Worona said. “I think every district that feels as though their authority might have somehow been thwarted should be free to talk to their lawyer and see how to proceed. The real question is if such litigation were to come to pass, would it be successful? That’s anybody’s guess and I’m not willing to opine.”

The Brentwood and Sewanhaka Indians, East Islip Redmen and Half Hollow Hills East and Connetquot Thunderbirds said they plan to comply. Manhasset (Indians), Syosset (Braves) and Sachem (Flaming Arrows) have not responded to requests for comment.

Bryan Polite, chairman of the Shinnecock Nation, pushed back against the idea the names and mascots honor indigenous people.

"It’s not just that these mascots are offensive, it’s offensive when you say you’re trying to honor us," Polite said last month. "That’s hogwash. If that were true, talk to someone [from the local tribe]. You honor us by incorporating our history into the curriculum, having a cultural exchange, having the [students] come to a powwow and writing a paper over the summer.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.