US EditionEducation Department says New York school violated Title VI over Native American mascot change
Federal officials demand Connetquot Central School District restore the Thunderbirds mascot after ruling the change violated Title VI by erasing Native American heritage.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Connetquot Central School District, Long Island, New York violated Title VI by abandoning its Native American-rooted Thunderbirds nickname and rebranding as the T-Birds, with the Office for Civil Rights concluding this erased Native American heritage.
- The state ban forced many districts to comply, affecting 13 Long Island school districts, including Connetquot, with a June 30, 2025 deadline amid federal scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
- Federal investigators then referred the matter to the Department of Justice after the U.S. Department of Education opened a probe into Connetquot and the school board approved a settlement allowing the T-Birds nickname.
- Penalties could include loss of federal funding if Connetquot Central School District fails to comply with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights' demand to restore the Thunderbirds name and logos.
- Following last year's nationally noted dispute, some Indigenous representatives argue mascots rooted in culture 'taint' rather than preserve it, while the Office for Civil Rights found the district violated Title VI.
63 Articles
63 Articles
Federal officials demand New York school district bring back Thunderbirds mascot after civil rights probe
Federal officials are pressing a Long Island school district to readopt its Native American-inspired team name that the school previously changed to comply with a state ban.The U.S. Department of Education said Thursday that the Connetquot Central School District violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it changed its mascot from the Thunderbirds to the T-Birds, according to the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).The New Yo…
WCIV
NY school violated civil rights law by replacing Native American mascot: Department of Ed.
A school district in New York violated a federal civil rights law by changing its longstanding "Thunderbirds" mascot to the "T-Birds."
Associated Press News
New York school violated civil rights law by changing name from ‘Thunderbirds’ to ‘T-Birds,’ US says
Federal education officials say a New York school district is “erasing its Native American heritage” and violating civil rights law by changing its team name from the “Thunderbirds” to the “T-Birds.”
Connetquot Central School District found in violation for complying with NY's Native American mascot ban
It was back in September 2025 when the district's board complied with New York's regulation and settled an agreement to change its school team's name from the "Thunderbirds" to "T-Birds."
Education Department: N.Y. School Broke Law Over Mascot
To comply with a New York state ban on Native American imagery in school mascots, a Long Island school district altered its Native American-themed mascot name — a move the U.S. Department of Education says violated federal civil rights law.
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