New York Ban of Native American Mascots Violates Civil Rights Law, Education Secretary Says

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the state must change its policy or it could face a loss of federal funding and a potential civil rights lawsuit.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Education is threatening legal action against the state of New York for forcing a Long Island high school to abandon its Native American-themed mascot.

During a visit to Massapequa High School on May 30, Education Secretary Linda McMahon declared that the New York State Board of Regents violated Title VI, the federal law prohibiting race-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, when it tried to ban the school’s longtime “Chiefs” nickname and feathered headdress logo in 2023.