Trump administration to investigate New York’s funding threat over Long Island tribal school mascot

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday it plans to investigate whether New York education officials are being discriminatory by threatening to withhold funding if a Long Island school district doesn’t stop using a Native American-themed logo.

The probe by the agency’s civil rights office stems from a complaint filed by the Native American Guardian’s Association, a nonprofit that supports “the beautiful artistry of native identifiers in sports and the mainstream,” according to its website. The organization says the funding threat constitutes a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

The announced investigation also comes several days after President Donald Trump waded in into a local fight over the Massapequa school district’s longtime “Chief” logo, arguing it was “ridiculous” and “an affront to our great Indian population” to now force the Long Island district to change it.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said he had asked his education secretary to “fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue.” The post was included in Friday’s announcement from the Department of Education.

“The U.S. 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,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.

McMahon accused New York officials of choosing to “prioritize erasing Native Americans, their rich history, and their deep connection the state” and said “it is not lost on the Department” that the state has singled out Native American history and not mascots tied to other groups. She citing “the Vikings, Fighting Irish, (and) the Cowboys” as examples in her statement.

“We will investigate this matter fully,” she said.

A message was left seeking comment with the New York Department of Education. In an earlier statement, JP O’Hare, the agency’s spokesperson, said the state’s Board of Regents in April 2023 adopted regulations “to end the demeaning Indigenous names and mascots in New York’s public schools,” noting that “certain Native American names and images have been shown to perpetuate negative stereotypes that are demonstrably harmful to children.”

“Disrespecting entire groups of people is wrong in any context, but especially in our schools, where all students should feel welcome and supported,” he said.

O’Hare said the Massapequa school system “stayed silent during the regulatory process” and did not reach out to Indigenous leaders or the department’s Mascot Advisory Committee to determine whether its team name and mascot would be permissible. Instead, he said, Massapequa challenged the regulations in court and lost.

“It is ironic that the federal government now seeks to intervene on an issue that is squarely reserved to the States,” O’Hare said.

Frank Blackcloud, vice president of the North Dakota-based Native American Guardian’s Association, said in a statement that “the preservation of Native themes and imagery in New York public schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity but a fundamental civil right for all students.”

Kerry Wachter, president of the Massapequa Board of Education, thanked the Trump administration for “standing with Massapequa in our effort to preserve the Chiefs name and honor our community’s proud history.”

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Haigh reported from Connecticut.