New York ditched its own rules banning Native American logos in public schools to try to reach a secret deal with one Long Island district, documents obtained by The Post show.<\/p>\n
Critics are now blasting the \u201cbackroom deal\u201d to rebrand the Connetquot Thunderbirds to the shortened \u201cT-Birds\u201d \u2014 a name the state previously said was included in the ban \u2014 as New York and local officials have kept the deal hidden from public.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t even tell the community that this agreement exists, and you\u2019re just going to make a decision and represent them?\u201d Connetquot board member Jacquelyn DiLorenzo fumed to The Post, blasting her colleagues as \u201cvery corrupt.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n New York state ditched its rules on Native American logos in public schools to reach a deal with Connetquot High School in Bohemia, according to documents obtained by The Post. James Messerschmidt<\/p>\n Connetquot had sued New York to keep its Thunderbirds team name after the Board of Regents enacted the ban on Native American-themed logos and sports team names in 2023. <\/p>\n But while the school was supposedly digging in on the fight against the rebrand it claimed would cost $23 million <\/a>it quietly was beginning negotiations with the state for a compromise.<\/p>\n The Suffolk district and the state have been negotiating to adopt the long-used abbreviation T-Birds \u2014 even though the Empire State had previously said the shortened name was also banned.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have confirmed that [State Education Department] considers\u2026\u2019Thunderbirds\u2019 or \u2018T-Birds\u2019 to both be impermissible,\u201d\u2018 New York assistant attorney general Helena Lynch wrote to Connetquot\u2019s legal team on May 30.<\/p>\n It was also the same day federal Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced at nearby Massapequa High School, home of the Chiefs, that bans targeting just one ethnic group were a civil rights violation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Connetquot board member Jacquelyn DiLorenzo blasted the move as \u201ccorrupt.\u201d Courtesy of Jacquelyn DiLorenzo<\/p>\n Soon after, the district\u2019s legal counsel wrote in an email officials \u201cnegotiated an agreement with the state to allow the T-Birds name\u201d on the condition it wasn\u2019t connected to any Native American imagery.<\/p>\n Connetquot\u2019s mascot is a soaring bird made of red, black, white and gold.<\/p>\n \u201cI am confident we can make this work. The State seems motivated to resolve it and I do not think they will be looking to prove a connection,\u201d the attorney added.<\/p>\n A proposed settlement stated that T-Birds suddenly became \u201cpermissible\u201d by New York on June 18.<\/p>\n The state Department of Education and Connetquot schools haven\u2019t responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the argument in Connetquot\u2019s initial lawsuit to keep Thunderbirds had labeled the two monikers as being directly correlated.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years, the \u2018Thunderbirds\u2019 name also morphed into the popular nickname: \u2018T-Birds,\u2019\u201d the district\u2019s lawyers wrote in 2024 court papers.<\/p>\n DiLorenzo blasted such hypocrisy and lack of community input into the deal at a public July meeting.<\/p>\n There, she cited multiple surveys showing 60% wanted to continue the legal battle for Thunderbirds \u2014 and said other board members were acting \u201cto serve personal and self-interested agendas.\u201d<\/p>\n The state ban can result in the dismissal of board members at non-compliant schools. <\/p>\n \u201cI definitely think that they are being intimidated,\u201d DiLorenzo said of her colleagues.<\/p>\n T-Bird merchandise seen at Connetquot High School. James Messerschmidt<\/p>\n McMahon launched an investigation into Connetquot<\/a> over removing Thunderbirds in July, and recently doubled down on the stance.<\/p>\n She said \u201cit is a top priority\u201d of the Trump administration to keep the name and that of other teams, such as the Chiefs,\u00a0in a statement to The Post last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n