A Long Island school district is asking for President Trump's help in their fight to keep their team name and mascot — the Massapequa Chiefs.

The New York State Board of Regents voted to ban Native American-related mascots, team names and logos in public schools back in 2023 and issued a June 2025 deadline for rebranding, saying districts that didn't comply could lose state aid.

Massapequa High School has been pushing back, and the town is asking Trump to issue an executive order that would protect Native American mascots and imagery nationwide by outlawing any such bans.

"This is a national issue, and so what we're saying is instead of having these little fights everywhere, we're asking the president to get involved," Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter said. "It really goes to the heart of who we are, and they're trying not only to erase Native Americans, but they're also trying to erase our tradition."

The New York State Department of Education released the following statement in response:

"No school district is above the law. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has twice rejected attempts by Massapequa and others to block enforcement of this regulation. The court made it clear: the State Education Department has a strong public interest in making sure every student learns in an environment free from discrimination and harassment. In fact, the court said the hardships 'tipped decidedly' in favor of NYSED. We remain committed to ending the use of harmful, outdated, and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. Our responsibility is to students and families; we won't trade their dignity for convenience."

Trump's past support for the Massapequa Chiefs

Trump has voiced support for Massapequa in the past.

Back in April, , in part, "I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School. Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population."

United States Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited the district in May and said she planned to launch an investigation into the state's mascot ban.

On Sunday, Trump threatened to block a deal for the Washington Commanders NFL team to return to a Washington, D.C., stadium unless the team changed their name back to the "Washington Redskins." A deal was reached between the city and the team Thursday, however.

• Massapequa