Board of Regents Regulation

This week, the New York State Board of Regents officially adopted the regulation prohibiting the use of Indigenous names, mascots and logos by public schools. The regulation has been updated since the initial release back in November indicating that any team names, logos, or mascots that contain vestiges of prohibited team names, logos, or mascots will not be considered acceptable. We do anticipate further guidance from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), however, based on this information the “Warriors” nickname and mascot fall under this regulation and will need to be retired. You may have seen recent media coverage this week on the approved regulation, and the full regulation can be viewed here.

Starting in January, we convened a student advisory committee made up of students in grades 7-12 who have been meeting regularly on this topic. At our next student advisory meeting on April 27, we will be working with our student committee to develop the process, which will include students, stakeholders, and community involvement. We will continue to update you and share more information on next steps in the coming weeks. A summary of the advisory group meetings can be found here.

Sincerely,

John Luthringer

Superintendent

Q: Does the district have to comply with this order?

Yes. The district must comply with the ruling made by NYSED. Now that this regulation has been officially adopted by the New York State Board of Regents, it officially becomes a permanent rule for school districts on May 3, 2023. 

Q: Does this directive impact the Warrior name? 

Yes. New York State convened a state level advisory committee made up of Indigenous tribe members. This committee’s charge has been to review school district nicknames and district questions. This committee is providing guidance to NYSED and has rejected all inquiries from school districts pertaining to keeping nicknames such as “Warriors” or “Braves.” Additionally, the language in the regulation states that team names, logos, or mascots that contain vestiges of prohibited team names, logos, or mascots will not be considered acceptable.