
New York won’t rescind Native American mascot ban despite Trump’s threat of cutting federal funds
New York education officials have refused to rescind the state’s ban on Native American mascots and team names, despite threats from the Trump administration that it risks losing federal funding. State officials suggested in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday that they could instead broaden the state ban to include names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups that the department deems offensive. The federal agency last week determined New York’s ban is discriminatory because names and mascots that are still permitted are also derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the “Dutchmen” and the “Huguenots.”