Trump’s education secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Native American mascot ban

By PHILIP MARCELO MASSAPEQUA N Y AP New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department review or exposure losing federal funding President Donald Trump s top development official declared Friday Related Articles PBS suing Trump administration over defunding three days after NPR filed similar situation Fox News ICE Boston arrests alleged child rapist living next to playground Trump administration identifies Massachusetts as sanctuary state lists communities put on notice Kristi Noem explained an immigrant threatened to kill Trump The story briskly fell apart Biden says he s feeling good in first remarks after cancer identification revealed U S Secretary of Schooling Linda McMahon on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island noted an probe by her agency has determined that state tuition authorities violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by banning the use of Native American mascots and logos statewide The department s civil rights office exposed the state ban is discriminatory because names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups such as the Dutchmen and the Huguenots are still permitted McMahon described Massapequa s chiefs mascot as an incredible representation of Native American leadership as she made the announcement backed by dozens of students and local administrators in the high school gymnasium The Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and custom of Native American tribes the former longtime CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment mentioned McMahon commented her department will give the state ten days to sign an agreement rescinding its Native American mascot ban and apologizing to Native Americans for having discriminated against them and attempted to erase their history JP O Hare a spokesperson for the New York teaching department dismissed McMahon s visit as political theater and announced the school district was doing a grave disservice to its students by refusing to consult with local tribes about their concerns These representatives will tell them as they have recounted us that certain Native American names and images perpetuate negative stereotypes and are demonstrably harmful to children he commented in a declaration Representatives from the Native American Guardians Association who voiced encouragement for keeping the chief mascot at Thursday s event also don t speak on behalf of local Indigenous residents despite indicates from school personnel explained Adam Drexler a Massapequa resident and member of the Chickasaw Nation They re Native Americans for hire he announced noting the group is based in North Dakota They have no tribal authority FILE Chiefs signs and logos are displayed Massapequa High School in Massapequa N Y Friday April AP Photo Ted Shaffrey File U S Secretary of Mentoring Linda McMahon center joined by local elected authorities speaks during a visit to Massapequa High School Friday May in Massapequa N Y Alejandra Villa Loarca Newsday via AP U S Secretary of Training Linda McMahon front right visits Massapequa High School Friday May in Massapequa N Y along with local elected leaders AP Photo Philip Marcelo U S Secretary of Tuition Linda McMahon at dais speaks during a visit to Massapequa High School Friday May in Massapequa N Y along with local elected representatives AP Photo Philip Marcelo Show Caption of FILE Chiefs signs and logos are displayed Massapequa High School in Massapequa N Y Friday April AP Photo Ted Shaffrey File Expand Meanwhile the National Congress of American Indians considered the country s oldest and largest Native American advocacy group reaffirmed its long-standing opposition to the use of unsanctioned Native American imagery These depictions are not tributes they are rooted in racism cultural appropriation and intentional ignorance the organization announced in a message ahead of McMahon s appearance Trump ordered the federal tuition department to launch an inquiry into the Massapequa mascot dispute last month making the coastal suburb an unlikely flashpoint in the enduring debate over the place of Indigenous imagery in American sports Located about miles east of Manhattan the town has for years fought a state mandate to retire Native American sports names and mascots But its lawsuit challenging the state s ban on constitutional grounds was dismissed by a federal judge earlier this year State training functionaries gave districts until the end of this school year to commit to replacing them or menace losing teaching funding Schools could be exempt from the mandate if they gained approval from a local Native American tribe but Massapequa never sought such permission state functionaries have noted Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman a Trump ally who joined McMahon on the visit echoed the sentiments of residents who backing keeping the mascot The Massapequa chief he announced is meant to honor the town s Native American heritage not denigrate it They re trying to change our civilization and we re not having it Blakeman announced Thursday The town is named after the Massapequa who were part of the broader Lenape or Delaware people who inhabited the woodlands of the Northeastern U S and Canada for thousands of years before being decimated by European colonization But indigenous residents on Long Island have called Massapequa s mascot problematic as it depicts a Native American man wearing a headdress that was typically worn by tribes in the American Midwest but not in the Northeast The cheery mascot also obscures Massapequa s legacy of violence against Native Americans which includes the site of a Native American massacre in the s Native American activists have stated Massapequa which is roughly white has long been a conservative bastion popular with New York City police and firefighters Trump visited the town last year to attend the wake of a New York City police officer and has made frequent visits to Long Island as it has shifted Republican Comedian Jerry Seinfeld Hollywood s Baldwin brothers and the Long Island s alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer are also among Massapequa High s notable alums Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter com philmarcelo