The US Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into New York’s threat to withhold funding from the Massapequa school district over its decades-old Native American mascot, Politico reported.
At the heart of the dispute is the “Massapequa Chiefs” logo—a depiction of a man in a feathered headdress—which state officials argue perpetuates harmful stereotypes. New York’s Education Department mandated in 2022 that schools remove such mascots or face financial penalties, a policy Massapequa has fiercely resisted.
Federal Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemned the state’s stance on Friday, accusing it of “rewriting history” and diverting resources from education.
The US Department of Education will not stand by as the state of New York attempts to rewrite history and deny the town of Massapequa the right to celebrate its heritage in its schools. While New York chooses to prioritise erasing Native Americans, their rich history, and their deep connection [to the] state, it is requiring schools to divert time and resources away from what really matters: educating our students.
Meanwhile, New York’s JP O’Hare, a state Education Department spokesperson, rebuffed McMahon’s move as hypocritical, noting her prior rhetoric about devolving education policy to states. He also highlighted that Massapequa already lost a legal challenge to the mascot ban.
The district, however, has turned to political allies. President Donald Trump publicly backed its campaign this week, calling the mandate “an affront to our great Indian population” and urging McMahon to intervene.
I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School. Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population.
The controversy has drawn in the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA), which filed a civil rights complaint arguing the ban violates federal law by targeting cultural associations. NAGA, which has previously lobbied to revive the Washington Commanders’ former name, insists such mascots “honour” Indigenous heritage.
As the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights examines whether New York’s policy discriminates against pro-mascot communities, the outcome could set a precedent for similar battles nationwide.
