Connetquot votes to settle with NYS over school mascot change

The Connetquot school board voted Tuesday to approve a proposed settlement with the state that would allow the district to use the nickname T-Birds and related imagery, instead of the current Thunderbirds. 

The board members, like residents, were divided at the Tuesday evening meeting. Board president Marissol Mallon, vice president April Iannitelli and member Melissa Torregrossa voted to settle. Iannitelli said she spoke with many of her former teachers in the district, who told her "shortening a name does not erase history."

"Nothing erases history, and all the memories I and other community members have made at Connetquot, we will always have them," Iannitelli continued. "Our community is proud. We will, and should always be proud to be part of this district regardless the mascot name."

Board members Jacquelyn DiLorenzo and Sara Parisi opposed the settlement. Before casting her "no" vote, DiLorenzo said she had "deep concerns" that using the abbreviated name and settling the suit could potentially make the district vulnerable to litigation.

"It's not necessarily the fights you can win, it's the fight that should be fought," Parisi said before voting. She added the district should bolster education of local Native American history in its curriculum.

The state Board of Regents in 2023 banned the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. The regulation affected 13 districts on Long Island, including Connetquot. Most of the districts have taken steps to comply with the regulation.

The deadline to make the change was the end of June, but Connetquot was granted an extension until March to comply with the regulation.

New York State Sen. Alexis Weik and Suffolk County Legis. Trish Bergin, both Connetquot graduates who represent the district, attended the meeting and called on the board to settle to prevent further spending of taxpayer dollars on litigation.

"I think the deal that we have currently, which allows us to remain T-Birds, everything I own says T-Birds on it anyway, I think it's a good resolution," Weik said.

Connetquot has been fighting a state ban on Native American mascots and other imagery in public schools. The district held a public meeting last week to gather feedback from the community ahead of Tuesday night’s vote.

Board members said at last week's meeting that the district had spent nearly $50,000 on litigation against the state to continue using the Thunderbirds name and its mascot — a red, black and white eagle. Continuing the legal battle could cost another $125,000, according to board members.

As part of the agreement, the district would represent that the nickname T-Birds has "never been associated with any Indigenous imagery of any kind," according to meeting documents posted on the district’s website. The current associated images such as "an eagle, thunderbolt and/or lightning bolt," would be permissible under the deal.

School officials have said the district would need to spend about $86,000 to rebrand to the T-Birds. To be in full compliance with the state’s mascot ban, which means a new name, logo and imagery, the district estimates a price tag of about $323,000.

Under the proposed settlement, the district would have to withdraw its appeal, which was filed after a federal judge dismissed legal challenges by Connetquot and three other Long Island districts to either keep their name or nullify the state regulation. A judge ruled against the districts in March.

Opponents of the proposed settlement spoke at last week’s meeting, stating their willingness to continue the fight to preserve what they called the school's heritage and legacy. Others said the settlement "acknowledges" the Native American community's voice.

Some opponents have said an agreement would violate Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded education programs on the basis of race, color or national origin.

In May, the U.S. Education Department's Office of Civil Rights determinedNew York’s mascot ban violates Title VI, arguing that it prohibited the use of Native American mascots while allowing those "derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots.' "

The department's investigation into the ban has been referred to the Department of Justice.

The federal agency also launched a second investigation in July into the Connetquot school district for, it said, "actively taking steps to erase its Native American mascot and imagery" after the district announced that officials were "exploring options for an alternative mascot name that remains relatable to our community."