MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 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 鈥渢he beautiful artistry of native identifiers in sports and the mainstream,鈥 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 into a local fight over the Massapequa school district's longtime 鈥淐hief" logo, arguing it was 鈥渞idiculous鈥 and 鈥渁n affront to our great Indian population鈥 to now force the Long Island district to change it.
In his Truth Social post, Trump said he had asked his education secretary to 鈥渇ight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue.鈥 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,鈥 said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
McMahon accused New York officials of choosing to 鈥減rioritize erasing Native Americans, their rich history, and their deep connection the state鈥 and said 鈥渋t is not lost on the Department鈥 that the state has singled out Native American history and not mascots tied to other groups. She citing 鈥渢he Vikings, Fighting Irish, (and) the Cowboys鈥 as examples in her statement.
鈥淲e will investigate this matter fully,鈥 she said.
JP O鈥橦are, spokesperson for the New York State Education Department, said in an email Friday evening that the agency had not yet been informed of any investigation.
鈥淗owever, the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 attempt to interfere with a state law concerning school district mascots is inconsistent with Secretary McMahon鈥檚 March 20, 2025 statement that she is 鈥榮ending education back to the states where it so rightly belongs,鈥 鈥 he said.
鈥淢assapequa has already filed, and lost, a lawsuit regarding this issue,鈥 he said, adding how the state had encouraged the district to consult with local Indigenous representatives.
In an earlier statement, O'Hare said the state's Board of Regents in April 2023 adopted regulations 鈥渢o end the demeaning Indigenous names and mascots in New York's public schools," noting that 鈥渃ertain Native American names and images have been shown to perpetuate negative stereotypes that are demonstrably harmful to children.鈥
鈥淒isrespecting entire groups of people is wrong in any context, but especially in our schools, where all students should feel welcome and supported,鈥 he said.
Frank Blackcloud, vice president of the North Dakota-based Native American Guardian's Association, said in a statement that 鈥渢he 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.鈥
Kerry Wachter, president of the Massapequa Board of Education, thanked the Trump administration for 鈥渟tanding with Massapequa in our effort to preserve the Chiefs name and honor our community鈥檚 proud history.鈥
But Harry Wallace, chief of the state-recognized Unkechaug Indian Nation, which has a reservation on Long Island, said in a statement that it was 鈥渋ronic that a town that has a history of killing the local Indigenous population should now claim as a tradition a fake image of those very same people.鈥
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Haigh reported from Connecticut.
