New York will scrap part of its Native American school logo ban days before a court clash, a major win for Massapequa’s long fight to keep the Chiefs.
The Board of Regents intends to repeal a section of its 2023 mandate that barred school officers and employees from using or promoting any Indigenous name, logo, or mascot on campus or at school functions, the New York Post reported after reviewing court documents.
Legal arguments in the fight were set to begin Nov. 4. The board plans to formally announce the partial repeal at a November meeting and take a final vote in February.
Massapequa, on Long Island, has refused to abandon its Chiefs name and logo. The district sued the state along with several others, arguing the ban singled out Native American imagery and violated civil rights. Non-compliant schools risked losing state funds.
The district estimated a nearly $1 million cost to rebrand. Neighboring Amityville, home of the Warriors, was priced out of the litigation as the fight dragged on for years.
Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter made the district’s position plain.
"After years of fighting to keep the Chiefs, we’re proud of this victory."
She pressed for more.
"We encourage the Board of Regents to take the next step and repeal the regulation in its entirety. Once a Chief, always a Chief."
Attorney Oliver Roberts, who grew up in the town and represents the district, said the state’s shift showed it had finally recognized the legal problem.
"The State has realized that its attempts to erase Massapequa’s history and tradition are patently unconstitutional."
Students kept the pressure on locally. The senior class of 2027 printed shirts reading “2till 7he Chiefs!” while the standoff continued.
President Trump pledged in 2025 to fight for the Chiefs. He posted on Truth Social, “LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!” and later posed in the Oval Office wearing a Massapequa sweatshirt.
He assigned Education Secretary Linda McMahon to investigate the ban. After she visited Massapequa High School in May of that year, she turned civil rights-related findings over to the Justice Department.
The Native American Guardians Association also sued New York over the ban and said it was willing to take the case to the Supreme Court. Its lawyer, Chap Petersen, labeled the rule “the dumbest law of all time” in January.
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has pledged to preserve the name and logo if elected. He recently held Chiefs gear at a Pequa football game and directed a message at Gov. Kathy Hochul: “You tried to take that away from Massapequa, no way.”
The New York State Department of Education was reached for comment on the planned repeal.
The 2023 rule targeted only Indigenous names, logos, and mascots for school staff and officials. Districts that valued long-standing local traditions faced a choice: erase them or risk state money.
Massapequa chose to fight. With federal backing and a clear constitutional claim, the district forced the Board of Regents to reverse course on at least part of the mandate before the courtroom showdown fully unfolded.
The partial repeal still leaves the broader regulation on the books until the board acts further. Massapequa’s leaders have already told the board what comes next.
Local communities should not need a federal probe and years in court to keep the names their kids have worn for generations. Albany started the retreat. It should finish it.
