MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — Amid an ongoing battle over New York state’s prohibition on Indigenous names, mascots and logos in public schools, President Donald Trump is backing a Long Island school district’s effort to keep its “Chiefs” team name. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump said on social media that he supports a New York school district’s effort to keep its “Chiefs” team name and logo

  • The president’s post came less than a month after a federal judge found in favor of the N.Y. State Board of Regents in a legal challenge brought by Massapequa, Connetquot, Wantagh and Wyandanch school districts 

  • The N.Y. State Education Department issued a memo in 2022, saying that “school districts that continue to utilize Native American team names, logos, and/or imagery without current approval from a recognized tribe must immediately come into compliance” 
  • The president said that he was directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue” but did not specify what actions the federal government might take to intervene

“I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School. Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

The president’s post came less than a month after a federal judge found in favor of the N.Y.  State Board of Regents in a legal challenge brought by Massapequa, Connetquot, Wantagh and Wyandanch school districts against the 2022 mandate. 

That year, the state Education Department issued a memo, saying that “school districts that continue to utilize Native American team names, logos, and/or imagery without current approval from a recognized tribe must immediately come into compliance.” 

School disticts that fail to retire Indigenous team names and images could face the removal of school officers and the withholding of state funding. 

State officials have cited research that the use of Native American mascots are harmful to the self-esteem of Indigenous children. 

“Disrespecting entire groups of people is wrong in any context, but especially in our schools, where all students should feel welcome and supported,” state Education Department spokesperson JP O’Hare said in a statement. 

Massapequa officials have argued that the community has “strong ties to Native American culture” and that their team name and logo has not prompted any complaints under the state's Dignity for All Students Act. The name, Massapequa, is derived from an Indigenous phrase, the “great water land.”

The state Education Department spokesperson noted that the school district did not reach out to Indigenous leaders or contact the Department’s Mascot Advisory Committee to try to get approval for its team name or logo, which depicts a Native American man wearing a headdress in profile. 

“If members of the Massapequa board of education are genuinely interested in honoring and respecting Long Island’s Native American past, they should talk to the Indigenous people who remain on Long Island,” O'Hare said.

In her March 27 order, U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie directed school districts to file any amended complaints within 30 days or she would otherwise close the case. And with that deadline looming, Massapequa appealed to the president for help, the New York Post reported. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the Massapequa School Board said, "The Massapequa community has been working hard to preserve our identity and protect local decision-making. We are honored that President Trump has recognized our efforts and brought national attention to our cause. His support is a powerful affirmation of what we’re fighting for."

Trump likened the school district's name to that of the professional football team with the same moniker. 

“It has become the School’s identity and, what could be wrong with using the name, 'Chief?' I don’t see the Kansas City Chiefs changing their name anytime soon!” he wrote.

The president said that he was directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue” but did not specify what actions the federal government might take to intervene. A request for comment to the U.S. Department of Education was not immediately returned. 

The president’s post elicited an appreciative response from at least one Long Island official, with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — a Republican who campaigned for the president last year — thanking Trump for “supporting our culture, our history, and our identity here in Nassau County with the Massapequa Chiefs, Wantagh Warriors, and others who praise and honor our Native American history.”

This reporting has been updated with a response from the Massapequa School Board.