Trump DOE Demands Offensive Team Names and Mascots Be Restored
By Alan Singer
New York State school districts are caught between two conflicting mandates. The state is threatening to withhold money from districts that refuse to change Native American team names and mascots as a violation of the state’s Dignity Act. The federal Department of Education headed by wrestling promoter Linda McMahon is ordering districts to keep the names and mascots as part of Trump administration’s campaign against diversity initiatives and it is also threatening them with financial penalties.
In support of the New York State Dignity Act, an attorney for Long Island’s Shinnecock Nation declared “No longer will Native American children be subjected to mockery of their heritage by the misappropriation of their culture while participating in sports and engaging in their day-to-day learning environment.”
Originally sixty New York State school districts were instructed to change their Native American-themed mascots by June 2025. Fifty-five of the districts complied. On Long Island they included Sewanhaka which changed its name from the Indians to the Ravens, Half Hollow Hills which changed its name from the Thunderbirds to the Red Hawks, and Comsewogue which changed its name from the Warriors to the Spartans. Among the districts resisting the order are Massapequa which sued the state to keep the nickname “Chiefs” and a mascot with a large-feathered headdress. In support of Massapequa, Donald Trump called the demand for new names and symbols “ridiculous” and “an affront to our great Indian population.” He directed McMahon to “fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue.” Trump also threatened to block a new Washington DC stadium unless the Commodores football team changes its name back to the Washington Redskins.
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Source: Daily Kos
Alan Singer is a historian and teacher educator at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. His most recent books are Social Studies for Secondary Schools, 5th edition (Routledge, 2024) and Class-Conscious Coal Miners (SUNY Press, 2024). Blogs, tweets, essays, interviews, and e-blasts present his views and not those of Hofstra University.