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Connetquot trustees debate Thunderbird mascot; one trustee seeks letter to president
Summary
Public speakers and trustees debated whether to defend the district’s Thunderbird mascot. A trustee proposed sending a letter to President Trump asking for assistance; other trustees expressed concern about the optics and urged sensitivity to Native American perspectives.
The Thunderbird mascot prompted sustained discussion at the Connetquot Central School District meeting as public speakers, veterans and trustees weighed whether to mount an active campaign to keep or defend the name.
Lieutenant William Gleeson (retired FDNY), a Connetquot graduate and community member, urged the board to preserve the Thunderbird, saying the emblem was established by veterans "to honor veterans" and criticizing efforts to remove it. "Removing a mascot that was established to honor veterans is publicly doing the opposite and showing that the school ... does not support students going into the military," Gleeson said during public comment.
Trustee Jacqueline Napolitano Forno asked the board to send a letter to President Trump seeking assistance, saying the district should "exhaust all avenues" before changing the mascot. Several trustees supported sending a letter; others said they would not sign. One trustee warned that pushing a legal or political fight could be perceived as insensitive to Native American communities and urged listening to tribal voices who had expressed objections.
Board President and other trustees reviewed prior district actions on similar issues and recalled a past legal dispute over a different symbol that was dismissed in court. A subset of trustees emphasized local control and advocacy for community sentiment; others emphasized consultation, careful messaging, and awareness that some tribal leaders had publicly objected to the mascot.
The transcript records no formal board vote on the mascot at this meeting. Trustees discussed drafting and potentially circulating a letter; one trustee said she intended to draft a letter and invited other trustees to sign if they wished. Another trustee asked that her name not be included on any such letter.
Ending: The board discussed next steps but took no formal action. Trustees and administrators said they would consider further outreach and messaging and review community perspectives before any final decision.
