Board of Regents to vote Tuesday to ban Native American names, mascots and images in schools

The Board of Regents met Monday, and are set to vote Tuesday, to ban Native American mascots, names and imagery -- a move that will affect many school districts on Long Island.     
The ban will require public schools using Native American mascots, team names and logos to change the names and remove the imagery by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
The ban could affect at least 12 high schools in 11 districts on Long Island.
Many in school athletics say a mascot change could be a huge expense.
"They're going to have to find the money somewhere. So they're going to have to take money from one part of their budget, to cover this, and you could be talking half a million dollars in some cases," says Patrick Pizzarelli, of Section VIII Athletics in Nassau County.
The school districts will have until June 2025 to make the changes if the vote is approved.
Schools that do not comply could be ineligible to receive state aid.
The schools that would be impacted by the ban on Long Island are:
Sachem East and Sachem North Flaming Arrows
Comsewogue Warriors
Manhasset Indians
Brentwood Indians
Sewanhaka Indians
Wyandanch Warriors
Wantagh Warriors
Amityville Warriors
East Islip Redmen
Massapequa Chiefs