Connetquot district says settlement proposed in Native American mascot ban litigation
The Connetquot district has been fighting to retain its logo and nickname, the Thunderbirds. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
A proposed settlement in the Connetquot school district's litigation against the state over its Native American mascot ban would allow the district to use the nickname "T-Birds" and associated imagery and logos, school officials announced in a letter Thursday.
The district has been fighting to retain its logo — a red, black and white bird — and nickname, the Thunderbirds.
Schools Superintendent Joseph T. Centamore wrote in Thursday's letter that the proposed agreement "would also allow the district the flexibility to revert to 'Thunderbirds' if there is a change in the current state law."
A public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School to hear feedback from the community about the proposal.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- The Connetquot school district could use the name "T-Birds" and associated imagery and logos under a proposed settlement, district officials said Thursday.
- The district has been fighting a state ban on Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools.
- A community meeting will be held Aug. 28 to review the terms of the proposed settlement "before any final decision is made," the schools superintendent said.
"Recognizing how deeply our community is invested in this topic, we invite you to a community meeting to review the terms of this proposed settlement and share your input before any final decision is made," Centamore wrote.
State education department officials did not comment Thursday.
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.
Most districts have taken steps to get rid of the names and mascot but four districts, including Connetquot, filed legal challenges to either keep their name or nullify the regulation. A judge ruled against the districts in March; Connetquot has appealed that ruling.
Local Native American groups have said the mascots and team names promote "a stereotypical image" of their community and damage Indigenous children's self-esteem, but supporters of the imagery have said they instill a sense of local pride and tradition.
Community reaction
News of the potential deal was met with mixed reviews from community members Thursday.
Bill Santoro, a Connetquot High School alum who has been the varsity wrestling coach for the past 47 years, said he “absolutely” supports the settlement.
“I think T-Birds would be the way to go,” he said in a phone interview. “That would be great.”
Football coach Mike Konsevitch said, "In the big picture, it’s a lot better than completely changing the name and completely changing the mascot. You’re retaining a lot of it and eliminating a few letters.”
But he noted that Connetquot is a Native American name and said, “If I was the district, I would still fight just to keep the Thunderbirds."
Former school trustee Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno, who lost her re-election bid earlier this year, called the proposal a "shady backroom deal" that sells out the Thunderbirds community.
"The board’s own polling showed that over 60% of the community supported continuing the court fight to preserve the Thunderbirds," she said in a prepared statement. "Yet the board has instead sold out the community and demonstrated their unwillingness to stand up to the state and do what the people demand."
District officials declined to comment Thursday.
Civil-rights violation alleged
Attorney Oliver Roberts, who represents Napolitano-Furno, said the proposed agreement is "a blatant violation" of 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.
The federal Education Department's Office of Civil Rights determined in May that the state'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 agency last month launched a second investigation, this time into the Connetquot school district, for "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, such as 'Thunder.' "
The federal education department intervened in the mascot ban controversy after President Donald Trump announced his support for the Massapequa district, which is fighting to keep its "Chiefs" name and mascot, a Native American in a headdress.
Newsday's Michael Sicoli contributed to this report.
