The Connetquot Central School District has been found in violation of complying with New York state's Native American mascot ban, according to the U.S. Department for Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

OCR determined in May 2025 that the New York State Education Department and Board of Regents ban of Native American imagery violated Title VI for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The regulation prohibits the use of names, mascots or logos based on Native American race.

It was back in September 2025 when the district's board complied with New York's regulation and settled an agreement to change its school team's name from the "Thunderbirds" to "T-Birds."

OCR concluded that the district "engaged in race- and national-origin-based discrimination in violation of Title VI" by abandoning its Native American name "to comply with a discriminatory rule."

“Today, we found Connetquot Central School District in violation of Title VI for erasing its Native American heritage to comply with a discriminatory New York state regulation. We will not allow ideologues to decide that some mascots based on national origin are acceptable while others are banned. Equal treatment under the law is non-negotiable,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. "We expect the District to do the right thing and comply with our resolution agreement to voluntarily resolve its civil rights violation and restore the Thunderbirds’ rightful name."

OCR says its offered the district the opportunity to enter into its proposed Resolution Agreement, "which requires the District to reverse its discriminatory erasure of Native American imagery by readopting the name “Thunderbirds” for its sports teams and all associated logos and mascots."