Dear Parents, Faculty, and Staff,
I am writing to provide an update regarding the New York State Board of Regents (NYSBOR) regulations pertaining to “team names, mascots, and logos.” As you may recall from my previous updates, the recently adopted NYSBOR regulations seemed to clearly indicate our two logos – the M with the spear and feather, and the three Native American silhouettes – would need to be discontinued. It was also made clear that our District name, “Mohonasen,” will be allowed to remain in place.
What was not clear at that time was whether we would be allowed to keep our team name as the Warriors once we discontinued the use of the two logos. The NYSBOR has recently issued further clarification about their adopted regulations, and they have clearly indicated that if a team name was ever associated with Native Americans, it must be discontinued.
The Board and I have strong feelings and attachment to the Warrior name, so we consulted with our legal counsel regarding available options. Unfortunately, the conclusive guidance we received is that the York State Education Department requires our compliance with the new regulations which will force us to discontinue the use of our logos and team name. Failure to come into compliance with the new regulations would result in the removal of school officers (the Superintendent and BOE members) as a first action by the state, followed by loss of state aid “as a last resort.”
Compliance with the regulations requires the Board to adopt a resolution prior to the end of June stating the District’s intent to come into compliance with the regulations over the next two years. I will have such a resolution on the Board agenda for the June 20 meeting.
With the end of an era upon us and the beginning of a new era before us, the Board intends to fully engage with Mohonasen – with students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community at large – as we seek to rebrand, and to explore and decide upon a new team name. I will be working with the Board to outline a process for this shift, which will likely take place over most of the 2023-2024 school year. You can expect to receive the details of that stakeholder process in the next couple of months.
For those of you who would like more details on the NYSBOR regulations and the recently released clarification/FAQ document, that information may be found below.
Always Mohon Proud,
Shannon Shine, Superintendent
Indigenous Mascot Regulation Background and FAQ Document
- The New York State Board of Regents adopted a new Part 123 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to prohibiting the use of Indigenous team names, mascots, and logos by public schools on April 18, 2023.
- The language in that regulation was clear: team names, mascots, and logos derived from, or that have connections to, Indigenous peoples, in the past or at present, which are being used without the express consent of such peoples, are contrary to the requirements of the regulation and New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act and must change.
To further facilitate this, NYSED has released a Background and Frequently Asked Question document (attached). This document is also posted on the NYSED website at https://www.p12.nysed.gov/natamer/mascot-guidance.html.