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A survey by the The Ministry of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in two New York State agencies found that both violated title VI of the civil rights law on a ban on mascots and Native American inspiration – a problem pushed under national projectors due to a school district of Long Island.
The Ministry of Education published a press release from its results on Friday, just a month after First launch of the probe at the New York Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents.
Educational Secretary Linda McMahon attends a Make America Healthy Again (Maha) commission event in the East White House, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP photo / Jacquelyn Martin)
“The Trump administration will not be held when the heads of state will try to eliminate the history and culture of the Amerindian tribes,” the American secretary for education said on Friday, Linda McMahon, who visited Massapqua high school.
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“Rather than focusing on learning the results, the Ministry of Education and the New York Council of Regents has watched the erasure of the history of Massapequa – while closing their eyes to mascots from other districts that are derived or linked to other racial or ethnic groups. We will not be compliance with federal law.”
The investigation was conducted when the native American Guardians Association (NAGA) filed a complaint in April after affirming that the state agencies forced the school district of Massapequa, which houses the chefs, To remove your mascot.
“The Amerindian Association Guardians Association is firm to affirm that the preservation of the themes and native images in New York public schools is not only a question of cultural dignity, but a fundamental civil law for all students. We call federal and state leaders to help us defend these declining expressions or our presence and our contributions”, the vice-president of Naga Frank Blackcloud at a time.
A wall painting for the sports teams of the Massapequa Chiefs School, where, according to the media, the Trump administration launched an investigation into New York officials threatening to retain the financing of the State for the city of Massapequa to have either in accordance with a state mandate by eliminating the Amerindian names of the school logos, is seen painted on a building next to the Lycée, New York, 2025. (Reuters / Shannon Stapleton)
Trump tears up “ ridiculous ” calls for New York high school to change the Amerindian mascot
“Maintaining a respectable presence in New York State schools is vital for educational equity, historical truth and civil rights of all American Indians.”
The Ministry of Education also noted that if the mascots, names and logos of Amerindian inspiration were not authorized by politics, others which “seem to have been derived from other racial or ethnic groups” made “discriminatory” policy.
The district continued the state in September, claiming that its rights to the first amendment had been raped, but a federal judge ruled against him. The brand change, including the modification of the name and the logo, would cost around $ 1 million, according to district officials.
President Donald Trump became aware of the problem last month and encouraged the Ministry of Education to examine the ban, which he called “an affront to our large Indian population”.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside the first lady Melania Trump as they left the White House on April 25, 2025 in Washington, DC (Images Kevin Dietsch / Getty)
The mandate of 2022 obliges all public schools to withdraw Mascots and Amerindian logos or risk loss of federal funding. Four schools in Long Island have since brought prosecution.
The Ministry of Education announced on Friday as part of its investigation according to which the resolution proposed to violations includes the cancellation of the prohibition of “indigenous names, mascots and logos”, issuing a memorandum to public schools informing them of changes and issuing letters of apologies to the indigenous tribes recognizing that the actions of the two agencies “have silenced the votes of the Aboriginal Amerindians. ”
The Ministry of Education said that non-compliance with the resolution plan is likely to pursue measures from the Ministry of Justice and the potential loss of federal funding.
