New York to reverse course on statewide ban on Native American imagery for sports logos
New York plans to drop its statewide ban on Native American imagery for school sports logos.
The Department of Education said Monday it will recommend that the Board of Regents, which adopted the 2023 mandate and issued a June 2025 deadline for rebranding, saying districts that didn't comply could lose state aid, now leave those decisions to local school districts.
"Legal challenges brought by Long Island school boards against the Board of Regents' regulation addressing Indigenous mascots have been unsuccessful. Most recently, a federal appeals court dismissed Wantagh's challenge, finding that the district could not pursue its claims against the State," a DOE spokesperson said in a statement, adding, " As schools complete the transition away from stereotypical Indigenous mascots, the Department will recommend that the Board of Regents leave decisions regarding employee clothing, including apparel displaying offensive Indigenous imagery, to local school districts, consistent with how other employee attire and personnel decisions are handled."
The Massapequa School District has been fighting the ban to hold on to its "Chiefs" name and logo. The district was one of several to sue the state over the ban, and accuse the state of committing a civil rights violation.
Massapequa's Board of Education says it sees the DOE's decision as a win, saying in a statement, "This is a significant victory for Massapequa. From the beginning, we have maintained that the Native American mascot ban is an unconstitutional overreach. We now call on Gov. Hochul to repeal the entire regulation."
Ever since the ban was enacted, Massapequa High School pushed back, and in July 2025 the town asked President Trump to issue an executive order that would protect Native American mascots and imagery nationwide by outlawing any such bans.
"This is a national issue, and so what we're saying is instead of having these little fights everywhere, we're asking the president to get involved," Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter said at the time. "It really goes to the heart of who we are, and they're trying not only to erase Native Americans, but they're also trying to erase our tradition."
The state DOE responded with a statement that said, in part, "No school district is above the law," and cited The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York twice rejecting attempts by Massapequa and other district "to block enforcement of this regulation." The DOE, at the time, said it had "a strong public interest in making sure every student learns in an environment free from discrimination and harassment," and added "Our responsibility is to students and families; we won't trade their dignity for convenience."
Two months before reaching out to the Trump administration, Massapequa High School students painted a massive "Chiefs" mural at the school in defiance of the state ban.
In 2022, 13 Long Island districts were ordered to drop mascot names like "Chiefs" and "Warriors" after the state ruled the imagery was outdated, demeaning and offensive to Native Americans.