Federal civil rights officials say the Connetquot Central School District in Bohemia on Long Island breached federal law when it tried to sidestep a state mascot rule by trimming its longtime "Thunderbirds" nickname to "T-Birds," and the local branding tweak has now turned into a full-blown federal case.
According to The Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights concluded in January that the district’s move violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and offered a voluntary resolution that would have required Connetquot to bring back the "Thunderbirds" name. OCR Assistant Secretary Kimberly Richey framed the issue as one of equal treatment, since the state rule lets some ethnic-based names stay while singling out those tied to Indigenous peoples.
As reported by the New York Post, OCR has since told the district it has failed to take steps to comply and, in a letter, asked the U.S. Department of Justice to start judicial proceedings to enforce Title VI. The Post also notes that the district did not respond to its request for comment on the referral.
The state rule at the center of the fight
New York’s Part 123 - a Board of Regents regulation that took effect May 3, 2023 - bars public schools from using Indigenous names, mascots or logos without tribal consent and authorizes the state to enforce the rule. The New York State Education Department explains the regulation and provides background and timelines for districts in a guidance document that includes a detailed FAQ.
How the district got here
Connetquot agreed in September 2025 to shorten its nickname to "T-Birds" and to switch to non-Indigenous imagery as part of a settlement meant to bring the district into compliance with the state regulation, The Associated Press reported. Native advocates countered that the change scrubbed away cultural heritage tied to the Thunderbird name instead of seriously engaging with that history.
The Education Department first opened a Title VI investigation into Connetquot in July 2025 after receiving a complaint, according to the agency's press release, and it has also been reviewing Part 123 itself for possible civil rights issues at the statewide level. In other disputes, the department has sent similar cases to the Justice Department when voluntary settlements fell apart.
Legal options and what a DOJ referral would mean
If OCR sends a case to the Justice Department, federal lawyers can ask a court for orders that force a school district to comply. The agency can also pursue administrative remedies that could put a recipient’s federal funding on the line, according to OCR’s case-processing guidance. Connetquot and several other districts have already challenged Part 123 in federal court, according to filings in the Connetquot litigation, so the legal fight is already underway on a separate track.
Local reaction, costs and next steps
Local reporting shows the district estimated roughly 23 million dollars to phase out the "Thunderbirds" name, a tally that covers turf, gym floors, signage and other athletics-related fixtures. Coverage from area outlets says parents and neighboring districts remain sharply divided, while state officials continue to defend Part 123 as necessary to end what they describe as harmful depictions of Indigenous people in schools.
For now it is unclear whether the Justice Department will act on any referral or when a lawsuit might formally begin. OCR has left the door open with a proposed resolution that would restore the Thunderbirds name if the district signs on. However it plays out, the fight is likely to be watched closely on Long Island and beyond as a test of how far state rules and federal civil rights enforcement can go in pushing schools to change mascots and names.
