MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (AP) — The conflict surrounding the Massapequa School District's Native American chief mascot has intensified, drawing federal attention. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, during her visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island, announced findings from a weeks-long investigation by her agency. The investigation determined that state education officials are violating federal civil rights law by implementing a mandate to eliminate such mascots, potentially leading to a Justice Department inquiry or the risk of losing federal funding.

McMahon did not go into detail regarding the investigation's findings but indicated that her department would request the state to sign a resolution. This resolution would apologize to Massapequa and permit it, along with other districts statewide, to retain mascots of their choice. If the state declines this proposal, McMahon warned that her department might escalate the issue to the Justice Department, underlining the seriousness of the situation.

This development has emerged against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's orders for the federal education department to launch an inquiry into the mascot dispute last month. As a result, Massapequa has become an unexpected focal point in the ongoing nationwide conversation regarding the appropriateness of Indigenous imagery in American sports.

Located 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Manhattan, Massapequa has a long history of opposing a statewide directive mandating the retirement of Native American-derived sports names and mascots. Earlier this year, the district’s legal challenge to the 2023 ban was dismissed by a federal judge on constitutional grounds. State education authorities have been working for over two decades to eliminate offensive mascots, providing districts until the end of the current school year to commit to changes or face losing educational funding.

Exemptions from this mandate could be awarded to schools that receive approval from a local Native American tribe; however, Massapequa has not sought such approval, according to state officials. Proponents of retaining the mascot argue that it is a longstanding symbol of the community’s heritage, meant to honor its Native American history. The community is named after the Massapequa people, who were part of the Lenape or Delaware tribes that inhabited the Northeastern U.S. and Canada for millennia before suffering the repercussions of European colonization.

Trump has publicly expressed support for maintaining the mascot, asserting that forcing the community to change it is an affront to the local Native population. However, many Indigenous residents on Long Island and across New York find the Massapequa mascot problematic. Critics argue that it inaccurately depicts a Native American man wearing a headdress typically associated with Midwest tribes rather than those in the Northeast. Additionally, they claim the cheerful mascot obscures the town's violent historical legacy against Native Americans, including a massacre site where many Native individuals were killed by Europeans in the 1600s.

Massapequa is predominantly white, with roughly 90% of its population identifying as such. The town remains a conservative stronghold, particularly favored by New York City police and firefighters. Trump has made repeated visits to Long Island, including attending a wake for a New York City police officer, as the area trends more Republican.

Notable alumni of Massapequa High School include comedian Jerry Seinfeld and the Baldwin brothers, alongside being connected to the investigation into the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer.