Wantagh school district granted new extension to comply with NYS Native American mascot ban

The Wantagh school district has received an additional one-year extension to comply with the state’s ban on Native American mascots and related imagery, school officials announced Tuesday.

The new deadline is June 30, 2027, school and state officials confirmed.

"This ensures that our students will continue to compete and learn under the Warrior name for the upcoming academic years while we continue our advocacy," the school board said in a message to the community. "Our commitment to preserving the 'Warrior' name remains steadfast."

The district is fighting the ban in state court and pursuing an appeal in federal court, after a judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the ban.

"While we are fighting these legal battles, the Board of Education will continue to perform our due diligence," the board wrote in their message Tuesday. "We are maintaining a proactive planning process to ensure the district is prepared for any outcome."

A state Education Department spokesman, asked for comment, referred to a FAQ that notes a district may be granted an extension "upon a showing of good cause" effort to make the change. 

The state Board of Regents has banned the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. Districts were given until June 30, 2025, to comply with the regulation.

Some Long Island districts, however, have been granted extensions. Wantagh was initially granted a one-year extension, through June 30, 2026. The Connetquot district received an extension until March; the Syosset district was given until the end of August to comply.

The federal Education Department's Office of Civil Rights determined in May that the mascot ban violates Title VI of federal civil rights law because it prohibits the use of Native American mascots while allowing those "derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots.' "

The federal agency weighed in again in January, announcing that the Connetquot school district had also violated Title VI when it agreed to rebrand from the Thunderbirds to the "T-Birds" as part of a settlement with the state.

In an apparent reference to these determinations, the Wantagh school board said it would "continue to monitor national developments, including findings from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights."

These findings, the board said, could have "significant implications" for how state mandates like the mascot ban are applied.