New York school violated law with mascot change: Education Department

A public school district in New York has been found in violation of a federal civil rights law for changing its traditional Native American mascot to comply with state law, the Department of Education announced Thursday.

The Connetquot Central School District in Long Island engaged in discrimination based on race and national origin by abandoning its “Thunderbirds” name for the generic “T-Birds” alternative, the department’s Office for Civil Rights concluded following its investigation. The mascot change was deemed in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.