New York’s Board of Regents is backing off a key piece of its Native American mascot ban just days before facing Massapequa in court.
The state education panel “intends to repeal” the prohibition on school staff “utilizing or promoting any Indigenous name, logo, or mascot” during school hours or functions, according to court documents. The rollback leaves intact other portions of the 2023 mandate, but removes the employee-focused restriction that has fueled a years-long legal battle on Long Island.
Kerry Wachter, president of the Massapequa Board of Education, claimed the development as a win for her district, which has clung to its Chiefs identity despite threats of lost state funding. “After years of fighting to keep the Chiefs, we’re proud of this victory,” she told The Post. “We encourage the Board of Regents to take the next step and repeal the regulation in its entirety. Once a Chief, always a Chief.”
The partial retreat comes with timing that Massapequa’s attorney, Oliver Roberts, read as telling. Oral arguments in the closely watched case are scheduled for Nov. 4, and Roberts, who grew up in the town, predicted more concessions ahead. “The State has realized that its attempts to erase Massapequa’s history and tradition are patently unconstitutional,” he said.
Massapequa estimated that full rebranding would cost nearly $1 million, a price tag that helped galvanize resistance. The district was not alone in suing—neighboring districts chafed at the mandate too—but litigation costs proved prohibitive for some. Amityville, home of the Warriors, was among those priced out as the dispute stretched across multiple years.
Students have made the standoff a running theme. Massapequa’s senior class of 2027 printed shirts bearing the slogan “2till 7he Chiefs!”—a pun that nods to both their graduation year and the enduring deadlock.
The Trump administration has amplified the district’s cause. President Trump pledged in 2025 to “fight” for what he dubbed “Chiefs nation,” posting “LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!” on Truth Social and posing in the Oval Office wearing Massapequa sweatshirt gear. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited Massapequa High School in May of that year, then routed civil rights findings to the Justice Department for review.
An outside group, the Native American Guardians Association, has pursued its own parallel lawsuit against the state ban and has signaled willingness to escalate to the Supreme Court. The organization’s attorney, Chap Petersen, did not soften his stance in January, branding the regulation “the dumbest law of all time.”
Local Republican power has also leaned in. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, now running for governor, has vowed to protect the logo and name if elected. He recently confronted the issue directly at a Pequa football game, hoisting Chiefs gear with a pointed message aimed at incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul: “You tried to take that away from Massapequa – no way.”
The Board of Regents plans to formally announce the partial repeal at a November meeting, with a final vote scheduled for February.
The 2023 mandate had singled out Indigenous imagery for prohibition while placing no comparable restrictions on depictions of other ethnicities, a disparity that Massapequa and fellow challengers framed as a civil rights violation. Non-compliant schools risked forfeiture of state aid throughout the dispute.
The New York State Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.
The Regents will convene for their November meeting to announce the partial repeal.