School violated civil rights law in ‘Thunderbirds’ to ‘T-Birds’ name change, US says
BOHEMIA, NY — A New York school district is “erasing its Native American heritage” and violating the civil rights law by changing its team name from “Thunderbirds” to “T-Birds,” federal education officials say.
The U.S. Department of Education said Thursday that the Connetquot Central School District can voluntarily resolve the violation of federal law by reinstating the “legitimate” name of the Thunderbirds.
The Long Island district, like others in the state, changed its team name to comply with state regulations banning Native American sports names and mascots.
But federal education officials say the state mandate violates the Civil Rights Act because it allows schools to continue using names derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as “Dutch” and “Huguenot.”
“We will not allow ideologues to decide that certain mascots based on national origin are acceptable while others are prohibited,” said Kimberly Richey, who directs the Department of Education’s civil rights office. “The Trump administration will not stop ensuring that every community is treated equally under the law. »
The school district said it was reviewing the federal finding, but state education officials criticized it, saying the finding “makes a mockery” of state civil rights laws.
“The USDOE has provided no explanation as to the individuals whose civil rights were violated by changing the name of a team from Thunderbirds to T-birds,” JP O’Hare, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement Friday. “NYSED remains committed to ending the use of harmful, outdated and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. »
The state Department of Education and the school district reached an agreement last year in which Connetquot would be allowed to use the name “T-Birds” and associated images such as an eagle, a thunderbolt or a lightning bolt, in exchange for dropping its legal challenge to the state’s ban on Native American mascots.
Native American advocates say the “Thunderbird” is a mythical creature often described as a powerful spirit and benevolent protector in many indigenous traditions.
