Education Dept. found Connetquot school district violated Title VI by dropping its Native American mascot to comply with state law

On January 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concluded an investigation finding that Connetquot Central School District, on Long Island, New York, violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by renaming its "Thunderbirds" mascot to "T-Birds." The district had initially fought New York's 2023 Board of Regents regulation banning Native American mascots, team names, and logos in public schools — which affected 13 Long Island districts and carried a June 30, 2025 compliance deadline — before its school board voted 3-2 in September 2025 to approve a settlement with the state education department that allowed it to adopt "T-Birds" while retaining much of its existing branding.

OCR's finding built on an earlier determination: in May 2025, the same office had already ruled that New York's mascot regulation itself violated Title VI, reasoning that it banned Native American-derived names and imagery while permitting mascots derived from other ethnic groups, such as "Dutchmen" and "Huguenots." That investigation was referred to the Department of Justice. In July 2025, OCR opened a second, district-specific investigation into Connetquot after officials said they were "exploring options for an alternative mascot name that remains relatable to our community." Concluding that inquiry, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said the district "engaged in race- and national-origin-based discrimination" by dropping the Thunderbirds name and stated OCR "will not allow ideologues to decide that some mascots based on national origin are acceptable while others are banned." OCR called on the district to revert to "Thunderbirds" and restore all associated logos and mascots under a resolution agreement; the finding did not identify any Native individual, family, or student affected by the district's compliance with the state ban.

Connetquot Superintendent Joseph T. Centamore said the district was reviewing the report. New York State Education Department spokesperson JP O'Hare said OCR "continues to make a mockery of our nation's civil rights laws," adding that the agency "has offered no explanation as to whose civil rights were violated by changing a team name from Thunderbirds to T-Birds" and that the state "will not sacrifice the dignity of the students and families we serve for political expediency." O'Hare said the state's mascot regulation was developed with a mascot advisory council of representatives from Indigenous nations with connections to New York State.