Native American mascots: NYS Education Dept. releases guidance on team names, logos in public schools

The state Education Department on Thursday released eagerly awaited guidance on the implementation of a ban on Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools.

The 11-page document provides new details on the ban, which sparked confusion among some Long Island administrators — and defiance among others. The measure could affect about a dozen Long Island districts, laying bare in greater specificity the consequences for schools that choose not to follow the mandate.

For example, any individual who feels their district is not complying with the order can file an appeal to the state education commissioner to have a school officer removed.

As Newsday previously reported, districts that refuse to make the change could face the removal of school officers as well as the withholding of state aid, which the document released Thursday noted would be “as a last resort."

Districts that are unable to fully eliminate the Native American team names, mascots and logos by the June 30, 2025, deadline can apply for an extension based on a “showing of good cause.” In those instances, the district will have to demonstrate that about 75% of the work had already been completed and the replacement costs could be “substantially mitigated” if briefly postponed.

"Although rebranding might not be easy for communities, the harm that the continued use of team names, mascots, or logos connected to Indigenous peoples has on Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, including students, is well established," the guidance states.

The ban was unanimously approved April 18 by the 17-member Board of Regents. It requires school districts statewide to remove Native American references on uniforms, scoreboards, fields and buildings on school property. The names of schools themselves remain outside the scope of the regulation, the guidance states.

Thirteen Long Island school districts, including 14 high schools, are affected by the ban, including the Brentwood, Manhasset and Sewanhaka Indians, the Amityville, Comsewogue, Wantagh and Wyandanch Warriors, the East Islip Redmen, the Massapequa Chiefs, the Syosset Braves, the Sachem East and Sachem North Flaming Arrows and the Connetquot and Half Hollow Hills East Thunderbirds.

The guidance places the responsibility on boards of education to check whether their team names, mascots or logos must be changed. School boards must announce their decision in a resolution no later than June 30.

Wantagh school district officials were "disappointed by the lack of flexibility in the guidance," said Superintendent John McNamara. "We plan to continue discussions with the State Education Department about keeping the Warriors name."

Team names and mascots will be exempt from the ban if they’ve never been historically tied to indigenous peoples or never utilized indigenous imagery. But logos that include imagery such as feathers, tomahawks, spears or traditional indigenous clothing will be prohibited, even if there are no other connections to Native Americans. 

School employees will also be prohibited from "displaying paraphernalia or clothing" bearing the name or images of their banned team, logo or mascot.

“Continued use of the vestiges of these names and/or images, either explicitly or implicitly, contributes to the continued stereotyping, caricaturing, and denigration of Indigenous peoples,” the guidance states. “Districts in this situation should take this opportunity to re-brand, as many districts across the state have already done, through collaborative engagement with stakeholders.”

State aid could be available to defray the costs of replacing the imagery but the guidance suggests the work be performed in a cost-effective way, such as replacing only the section of the field or tiling containing the prohibited logo, rather than replacing the entire artificial turf or flooring.

Meanwhile, plaques, trophies and championship banners with the prohibited team name or logo are considered "historical artifacts" that do not need to be replaced, according to the guidance.

With Laura Albanese and Gregg Sarra

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.