School District Upset Over Inability to use Native Mascots Sues Regents

The Connetquot school district has initiated legal action against the state Board of Regents, challenging a statewide prohibition on public schools employing Native American imagery, mascots, and names. This legal challenge, lodged in the Eastern District of New York this past Monday, labels the ban as “unconstitutional.” The district argues that the Board of Regents, responsible for shaping many of the state’s educational guidelines, has overstepped its bounds. According to the newly introduced regulations, schools are mandated to phase out references to Native American imagery, names, and mascots on their premises by June 2025.

Central to the Connetquot district’s contention is their team’s nickname and mascot, the “Thunderbirds.” Originally selected by the student body in the 1960s, this name has evolved over time, gaining popularity as “T-Birds.” It’s now synonymous with the phrase “once a T-Bird, always a T-Bird,” as per the lawsuit.

“In Native American folklore, thunderbirds were large bird-like mythological creatures that dominated the nature and were responsible for the weather,” attorneys for the district, Adam Kleinberg and Chelsea Weisbord from Carle Place-based firm Sokoloff Stern, wrote in the complaint, citing “A Dictionary of Nature Myths” by Tamra Andrews.

The thunderbird, however, as well as other fantastical birds and creatures, are not exclusive to Native American tradition, according to the lawyers. The district’s principal emblem also “bears little to no resemblance to a thunderbird described in literature or depicted in artwork,” they added.

The attorneys argued that neither the school’s mascot nor its emblems, which feature the school colors of red and black, feature any representation of a Native American headdress or other accessories.

The Connetquot lawsuit specifically names all 17 members of the Regents, each of whom unanimously approved the ban back in April, holding them individually accountable as defendants. JP O’Hare, representing the state Education Department, stated on Wednesday that neither the department nor the Board of Regents would provide comments on ongoing legal matters.

The plaintiffs listed in this case include the Connetquot school district, its school board, and Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno—a board trustee and a parent. While the district and the board remained silent on the matter as of Wednesday, Napolitano-Furno did not offer any response when approached for comments. The suit takes issue with the regulation that bans district officers and staff from donning attire that displays a school district’s phased-out indigenous team name, emblem, or mascot, whether on school grounds or during school-related activities.

Napolitano-Furno, both an alumna and mother of two students in middle and high schools, along with other community members, often sport Thunderbirds or T-Birds gear at athletic matches and school occasions as a sign of support. The lawsuit contends that the imposed restriction infringes upon their First Amendment rights. Notably, Connetquot is one of 13 school districts on Long Island impacted by this ban. This sizable district of 5,335 students based in Bohemia has followed suit in legal action, not long after the Massapequa, Wantagh, and Wyandanch districts presented their legal challenges.

In their collective legal action, Wantagh and Wyandanch expressed their desire to maintain their long-standing ‘Warriors’ team name, indicating their intention to redesign their mascots and/or emblems to eliminate Native American-linked imagery. The Massapequa lawsuit mirrors much of the language used in Connetquot’s claim, with both pushing for a judgment to declare the ban invalid.