New York public schools must drop Native American mascots or lose funding, state officials say

The New York State Education Department has effectively banned the use of most Native American mascots for public schools in the state.

In June, the state Supreme Court in Albany County upheld a ruling from the state Commissioner of Education that held the Cambridge Central School District's decision to retain its "Indians" mascot and nickname after voting to retire them a month earlier in June of 2021 "inhibited the creation of a safe and supportive environment for all students.".

In rejecting the appeal from the Cambridge Central School District, the court pointed to a 2001 memo from former Commissioner of Education Richard P.

In the summer of 2020, the Seneca Nation tribe publicly denounced the use of Native American mascots – which contributed to changes in Schuyler County schools. Odessa-Montour Central School District became the Grizzlies, for example, and Odessa-Montour's combined teams with Watkins Glen Central School District are now the Schuyler Storm.

However, several schools and districts across the state still use mascots that are directly or indirectly connected to Native American people. .

The State Education Department is developing regulations to clarify schools' obligations in dropping Native American mascots and encouraged those schools to seek guidance from districts that have made the transition from Native American mascots