In April 2023, the New York State Board of Regents unanimously voted to prohibit mascots, team names, and logos with any connection to Indigenous peoples in public schools. This move was made to ratify a notice sent months before by the New York State Education Department to public schools to change any mascots depicting Native Americans that do not have explicit permission from local tribal leaders or face “removal of school officers and the withholding of state aid.”  Although dozens of schools began the process of changing mascots, school districts such as Massapequa stood fast. Eponymously named after the Massapequa tribe, the school district uses a “chief” mascot throughout the town and at Massapequa High School. The slogan “Once a Chief, always a Chief” can be often found on residents’ T-shirts and heard throughout the area.  In a letter sent by the Massapequa Board of Education to the New York State Board of Regents, the council stated that the mascot was “more than a symbol to Massapequa,” and stated that “we in Massapequa will not sit idly by while an unelected group of officials tries to remove our history.” However, according to JP O’Hare, a spokesman for the state’s Education Department, the Massapequa school district did not make an attempt to ask permission from local Indigenous leaders. “Disrespecting entire groups of people is wrong in any context, but especially in our schools, where all students should feel welcome and supported,” O’Hare said in an interview with the New York Times. Now, two years into the conflict, President Trump has added another wrench in the Board of Regents ruling. Taking to Truth Social on Monday, the president affirmed his support for the Massapequa Board of Education. “Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population,” Trump said. “By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my highly capable Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue.” Federal funding at stake in broader DEI fight So far, it is unclear what power McMahon may actually have to oppose state education law. Fast Company reached out to the Department of Education (DOE) for comment. Nevertheless, attention like this from the Trump administration should not be taken lightly. Earlier this month, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that have enacted what the administration considered to be unfair diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. In response to the president’s comments, the Massapequa School Board released a statement thanking Trump for speaking out, local media reported. “We are honored that President Trump has recognized our efforts and brought national attention to our cause. His support is a powerful affirmation of what we’re fighting for.” Fast Company was unable to reach the school board for further comment as its press mailbox was full and email requests bounced back. We also reached out to the New York State Education Department and the National Congress of American Indians. We will update this post if we hear back.