Connetquot Central School District found in violation of Title VI after changing “Thunderbirds” mascot

By Matty Wagner

SUFFOLK COUNTY - The U.S. Department of Education has found the Connetquot Central School District to be in violation of federal civil rights law Title VI when it changed its “Thunderbirds” mascot to comply with New York State’s ban on Native American imagery, according to a Jan. 22 finding. “Today, we found Connetquot Central School District in violation of Title VI for erasing its Native American heritage to comply with a discriminatory New York state regulation,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey.  

Connetquot’s school district board voted in September 2025 to change the name to the “T-Birds” after New York State Education Department prohibited schools from using mascots or logos connected to Native American imagery. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found in May 2025, that the New York State Education Department and Board of Regents ban of Native American imagery violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which includes “Prohibition against exclusion from participation in, denial of benefits of, and discrimination under federally assisted programs on ground of race, color or national origin.” 

The findings stem from an investigation started in July 2025, where the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights received complaints that the Connetquot School district “treated Native American mascots differently based on race, color, or national origin”. The investigation found that the Board of Regents ban on Native American imagery was discriminatory because of allowing other names derived from other ethnic groups such as “Huguenots” and “Dutchmen." 

The case shows a rare conflict between state and federal policy on the use of Native American imagery in schools. The state’s regulation requires school districts to remove any imagery of specifically Native American groups, while the Department of Education rules that the ban violates civil rights law by only asking for the removal of imagery of one group, while still including imagery of others. The case is a rare situation where the following of state law led to a violation of federal civil rights.  

The findings of the U.S. Department of Education is similar to their decision involving the Massapequa School District, where the department found the state to be in violation of Title VI because of the state’s ban on Native American mascots. “Rather than focus on learning outcomes, the New York Department of Education and Board of Regents has set its sights on erasing Massapequa’s history – while turning a blind eye to other district’s mascots that are derived from or connected to other racial or ethnic groups.” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.  

The district is now in the position where they must decide whether to accept the federal government’s resolution agreement, which requires restoring the school’s original Thunderbirds name and reversing any changes made in 2025. If Connetquot school district declines, the Education Department may pursue actions including the potential loss of funding for the district. The district has yet to publicly respond.