MASAPEQUA, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education announced plans Friday to investigate whether education officials in New York are discriminatory. Threatening to withhold funds If Long Island school districts do not stop using Native American-themed logos.
The investigation by the authorities’ Civil Rights Office comes from complaints filed by the Native American Guardian Association, a nonprofit organization that supports “the beautiful artistry of sports and mainstream native identifiers,” according to its website. The organization says the funding threat constitutes a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The published investigation also came days after President Donald Trump was caught up in a local battle over the long-time “Chief” logo of the Massapequa School District, claiming that forcing the Long Island district to change it is “silly” and “a humiliation to our great Indian population.”
In his true social post, Trump said he asked his education secretary to “fight for the people of Masapea on this very important issue.” The post was included in a Friday announcement from the Ministry of Education.
“The U.S. Department of Education will not hold back as New York tries to rewrite history and deny the town of Massapequa’s right to celebrate heritage at schools,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
McMahon accused New York officials of “selecting to prioritize Native American erasure, their rich history and their deep-connected nations, saying they are “not lost in the department.” She cites “The Vikings, the Cowboys fighting the Irish (and) the Cowboys” as an example in the statement.
“We’ll investigate this issue in full,” she said.
A message was left to request comment with the New York Department of Education. In an earlier statement, the agency spokesman JP O’Hare said in April 2023 that the state committee adopted regulations “to end the names and mascots of despicable Native Americans in New York public schools,” saying “certain Native American names and images have been shown to frame negative stereotypes that are harmful enough to cause harm to children.”
“Downing an entire group of people is wrong in any context, but it’s wrong, especially in schools where all students should feel welcome and supported,” he said.
O’Hare said the Massapequa school system was “still silent during the regulatory process,” and he reached out to Indigenous leaders and departmental mascot advisory committees to determine whether the team name and mascots were acceptable. Instead, Masapequa challenged the restrictions in court and he said he lost.
“It’s ironic that the federal government is currently trying to intervene in issues that are clearly reserved for the state,” O’Hare said.
“Preservation of native themes and images at New York Public Schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity, but a fundamental citizenship for all students,” said Frank Blackcloud, vice president of the North Dakota-based Native American Guardian Association, in a statement.
Kelly Wachter, president of the Massapequa School Board, thanked the Trump administration for “standing in Masapequa in his efforts to maintain the mayor’s name and respect the proud history of the community.”
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Hay was reported by Connecticut.
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