Massapequa pledged to proceed the “struggle” to maintain Chiefs as its college group title after a decide tossed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve a state ban on indigenous mascots.
The college district and the Native American Guardians Affiliation sued the state Board of Regents over its controversial 2023 mandate that required all public faculties to take away indigenous imagery and group names or face funding cuts.
However a Lengthy Island decide dismissed the swimsuit and refused an injunction on the ban — with college officers now pledging to attraction the “incorrect resolution.”
“We’ll proceed to struggle to protect the Chiefs’ title,” the Massapequa Board of Training mentioned in a press release to The Publish Tuesday.
The non-profit NAGA, which is closely for using Native American mascots in sports activities tradition, contracted with Massapequa to allow and help its use of the Chiefs’ emblem, along with having the group train supplementary indigenous academic curriculum.
“You’re speaking about power, speaking about being one thing that folks uphold,” NAGA member Frank Black Cloud beforehand advised The Publish of the Chiefs and associated names.
“Individuals need to emulate you.”
The guardians argued in courtroom that forcing the city to take away its longtime Chiefs title interfered with NAGA’s proper to contract — however Decide Sanket Bulsara shot down that stance in a ruling final month.
“NAGA has no proper to the Chiefs mascot. It doesn’t personal it or have a trademark on it,” Bulsara wrote in courtroom papers. “NAGA has no larger proper to license the Chiefs mascot than a random member of the general public.”
Bulsara was additionally vital of the state, writing that New York’s Native mascot and emblem ban “could have critical constitutional defects.”
“It seems to enact a authorized classification based mostly on race or ancestry, which topics it to probably the most demanding type of judicial scrutiny,” the decide added.
“The legislation may additionally abridge the First Modification free speech rights of Massapequa College Board members and District staff. These troublesome questions, nonetheless, will not be the topic of this opinion.”
The New York State Training Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Black Cloud and extra members of NAGA joined Secretary of Training Linda McMahon at Massapequa Excessive College’s fitness center final Might as she spoke to college students and vowed federal help for the conservative city.
“It’s a prime precedence of this administration to guard Massapequa,” McMahon reiterated to The Publish in August.
President Trump has additionally been vocal for months on the matter, and final summer season advised Fox Information host and Massapequa native Brian Kilmeade, “We’ve received to get the title again to the Chiefs.”
“It has change into the College’s identification and, what could possibly be mistaken with utilizing the title, “Chief”? I don’t see the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs altering their title anytime quickly!” Trump posted on Fact Social in April.
NAGA has till Dec. 29 to file an amended criticism.
