The Brentwood Union Free School District Board of Education voted on Nov. 21 to adopt a resolution implementing the new team name and mascot, the 'Brentwood Spartans,' citing state guidance that requires districts to eliminate the use of indigenous team names, logos and mascots.

The resolution cites a February 2001 memorandum from Commissioner Richard P. Mills and 8 NYCRR Part 123, which the board said requires districts that used indigenous mascots to commit to eliminate those names and vestiges by the end of the 2024–25 school year. On the motion by Trustee Brandon Garcia, seconded by Eileen Harmon, the board put the resolution to a voice vote and the motion carried.

Why it matters: The vote responds to New York State Education Department rules aimed at removing indigenous imagery from public‑school mascots and logos. Several community members argued the district’s chosen replacement—'Spartans'—still selects an ethnic or cultural identifier rather than adopting a neutral, nonethnic symbol.

Public objections: William Morse, a longtime Brentwood resident and former teacher, told the board he was "very disturbed by the vote that took place tonight with regard to the Spartans" and read a resolution from the Islip Town NAACP opposing the choice. "A racial choice has been made," Morse said, arguing that moving from a Native American mascot to "Spartans," a group associated with ancient Greece, remains an ethnic selection. He asked the board to delay action and hold community meetings.

Other audience members raised open‑meeting concerns and argued the item could be tabled until June and that the district had not held adequate community outreach. Board counsel responded that, while policy changes ordinarily proceed by a first and second reading, this action rescinds language already embedded in the code of conduct rather than creating a new policy in the usual sense.

Board action and next steps: The resolution text states the district had previously committed (06/22/2023) to eliminate indigenous team names and that the new team name shall be the Brentwood Spartans and the new logo and mascot shall be implemented. The board adopted the resolution on Nov. 21; the transcript records the motion and an affirmative voice vote. The resolution refers to required implementation tied to the 2024–25 school year under state regulation. The board did not record a roll‑call vote count in the public transcript.

What supporters and opponents said: Supporters framed the resolution as compliance with state regulation and a way to move forward from indigenous imagery. Opponents said the replacement name perpetuates the selection of an ethnicity and urged further community engagement; one commenter, citing historical claims, said the Spartans have a violent history and therefore the choice remains problematic.

What happens next: The resolution indicates districts must eliminate indigenous names, logos and mascots per state regulations; the transcript does not record an implementation timeline beyond the regulatory deadline and does not show a follow‑up vote with a roll‑call tally. The district also recorded other routine personnel and administrative approvals at the same Nov. 21 meeting.