Massapequa School District Seeks Trump To Overturn Native American Ban

MASSAPEQUA, NY — The Massapequa School District is calling on President Trump to overturn the Native American mascot ban.

The district board of education said the school's "Chiefs" name shows "strength, wisdom and bravery."

In a statement on Thursday they said, "it reflects the values we teach our children and honors the traditions of Native peoples."

The Massapequa School District is requesting Trump "take bold, historic action and issue an executive Order to protect Native American names, imagery and symbols in schools and on sports teams nationwide."

"No school district is above the law. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has twice rejected attempts by Massapequa and others to block enforcement of this regulation. The court made it clear: the State Education Department has a strong public interest in making sure every student learns in an environment free from discrimination and harassment," JP O'Hare, spokesperson for the New York State Education Department (NYSED), told Patch.

Legal battles have ensued since state's Department of Education issued the ban more than two years ago. One lawsuit by Massapequa and the Wantagh school districts was dismissed in March.

At the same time, Trump's Education Secretary Linda McMahon came to Massapequa in support of the educators' position.

"This is not a First Amendment case," McMahon said at the time. "This is Title VI Civil Rights case."

By April, Trump took to social media to defend Massapequa's right to keep the "Chiefs" name and imagery.

Trump said "forcing them to change the name, after all these years, is ridiculous and in actuality an affront to our great Indian population."

"This is about preserving cultural identity and defending constitutional rights. An executive order would be a landmark stand for American tradition — and a win for Native Americans who want their heritage respected, not removed," the Massapequa Board of Education said on Thursday.

The controversial matter has been "clearly turned into a right, left issue, instead of a right and wrong issue, said John Kane, a Native American who participated in the Indigenous Mascot Advisory Council for NYSED.

Community members rallied for Massapequa at "Save the Chief" fundraiser in June.

Shortly after the ban was announced, Massapequa voted to comply with the ban before reversing that decision.

"We would welcome the opportunity to work with President Trump to make this happen. Massapequa is proud to lead — and we’re asking him to stand with us," the Massapequa Board of Education said.

O'Hare added: "We remain committed to ending the use of harmful, outdated, and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. Our responsibility is to students and families; we won’t trade their dignity for convenience."