DOJ probes possible civil rights violation tied to Connetquot School District mascot change
In a letter issued on May 29, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said based on public information, district provided documents, and information by complainants, the district was in violation of the Civil Rights Act when it changed its mascot from the Thunderbirds to the T-Birds.
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The Connetquot School District is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice following a referral from the U.S. Department of Education.
In a letter issued on May 29, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said based on public information, district provided documents, and information by complainants, the district was in violation of the Civil Rights Act when it changed its mascot from the Thunderbirds to the T-Birds.
The district had made the change to comply with a New York State ban on Native American imagery and mascots in schools.
The district acknowledged receiving the letter on Jan. 22 and requested that OCR delay enforcement action while the legality of the state regulation could be reviewed by the New York State Education Department and the Board of Regents.
In April and May, the district and OCR exchanged communications about the possibility of reaching a resolution and OCR officials indicated that failure to reach an agreement could lead to further enforcement action, according to the letter.
Following those discussions, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey formally requested that the Department of Justice initiate judicial proceedings against the district.
News 12 reached out to the Connetquot School District for comment but has not yet heard back.
Richey issued the following statement:
After the District changed its Native American mascot in response to a state regulation that OCR has determined to be discriminatory, Connetquot has not yet taken the steps necessary to come into compliance with federal civil rights law. It is neither fair nor lawful to permit certain national‑origin‑based names and mascots while erasing others, and we are now referring the matter to the Department of Justice for further enforcement. The Trump Administration remains committed to upholding equal treatment under the law.
