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Connetquot community split over 'Thunderbirds' as board weighs legal options and missed tribal deadline
Summary
Public comment at Connetquot’s April 8 board meeting centered on the Thunderbird mascot, tribal-agreement deadlines and whether the district should continue paying legal counsel to defend the name in light of NYSED guidance and a judge’s warning about state-aid risk.
A prolonged public-comment period at the Connetquot Central School District board meeting on April 8 focused on the district’s Thunderbird mascot, the state’s guidance on Indigenous names and tribal agreements, and whether the district should continue litigation to keep the name.
Multiple community members — including veterans, alumni and parents — urged the board to fight to keep the Thunderbird identity. Joseph Barber, who identified himself as a 1989 graduate and lifelong resident, told the board, “I don’t understand why we should be changing Thunderbirds,” and asked trustees to state their positions publicly. Other speakers recounted family histories linking the mascot to military veterans and local origins rather than to Indigenous caricature.
Opposing perspectives were also voiced: supporters of changing or reassessing the mascot cited NYSED guidance and a judge’s ruling referenced in public remarks indicating the district could lose state aid if it did not comply. Board members and administration confirmed the district missed a May 2023 deadline to obtain a written agreement with a tribal nation that would have allowed continued use of an Indigenous-derived name without penalty; the transcript records the board saying it did not make the tribal contact in time.
Legal and budget figures
Board members reported that to date the district has allocated $50,000 in its budget line for this issue: $23,425 has been spent and $26,575 remained allocated for the legal effort at the time of the meeting. A board response to a public question estimated the full cost to replace all mascot-related items in the district — uniforms, signage and other materials — at about $340,000 if the district were required to remove and replace imagery and branding.
Board posture and next steps
Trustees said the district is participating in consolidated litigation with three other districts and is being represented by outside counsel (transcript references Sokoloff & Stern and a separate firm noted as Sokoloff and Stern as lead counsel). Multiple trustees told the public they prefer to explore community input and to verify options before committing to extended, costly litigation, and several asked for a controlled community survey or a ballot measure to obtain broader public feedback.
Public engagement
Several speakers asked whether the district had documented the mascot’s origin and urged the board to compile yearbooks, veteran testimony and archival records for the court record. Others urged the board to continue legal action, saying the allocated legal funds represented a proper defense of community tradition. The board told the public it would continue consulting counsel and coordinating with the other districts involved in the lawsuit while seeking clearer community guidance.
No formal board action on the mascot occurred at the meeting; the transcript records public comment and board discussion but no resolution to change or retain the mascot.
