The U.S. Department of Education is threatening legal action against the state of New York for forcing a Long Island high school to abandon its Native American-themed mascot.
McMahon warned that if the state does not reverse course and allow Massapequa High to retain its mascot, the department may withhold federal funding and refer the issue to the Department of Justice for a potential civil rights lawsuit.
She also demanded that the state issue a formal apology to the indigenous tribes for what she described as attempts to silence their voices and erase their culture.
“The Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes,” she said in a statement. “Rather than focus on learning outcomes, the New York [State] Department of Education and Board of Regents has set its sights on erasing Massapequa’s history while turning a blind eye to other districts’ mascots that are derived from or connected to other racial or ethnic groups.
“We will stand with the people of Massapequa until common sense is restored and justice is served, and until New York comes into compliance with federal law.”
“[The New York State Education Department] encourages all districts to connect with local Indigenous nations and peoples in or near their communities to foster authentic conversations with Indigenous nations regarding their history and present-day cultures,” it said.
However, according to the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the policy was discriminatory itself because it singled out Native American imagery while allowing schools to keep names and mascots derived from other races or ethnic groups, such as the “Dutchmen” and the “Huguenots.”
A spokesperson for the state Education Department pushed back against OCR’s finding, saying in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times that “local Indigenous representatives” believe that “certain Native American names and images perpetuate negative stereotypes, and are demonstrably harmful to children.”
The spokesperson criticized McMahon for intervening in what he said is a state-level issue, despite the Trump administration’s broader stance on returning educational authority to individual states.
“[It was] shocking, but not at all surprising, to see the secretary completely reverse course by inserting herself and the federal government into this local matter,” he said.
Many sports teams have done away with Native American mascots and rebranded over recent years; notable examples include the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins, which have become the Guardians and Commanders, respectively.
NAGA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it has previously stated that preserving Native American themes in schools is a matter of both cultural dignity and civil rights.
“Maintaining a respectable presence in N.Y. State schools is vital to educational equity, historical truth, and the civil rights of all American Indians,” Frank Blackcloud, vice president of NAGA, said in a statement in April following the OCR’s announcement of its investigation.
The federal government’s involvement was also prompted by a plea from Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter, whose district led the legal opposition to the state mandate. President Donald Trump has expressed support for the school district’s efforts and directed McMahon to take action.
“Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population.”
