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Brentwood board adopts 'Spartans' team name and mascot despite objections from NAACP and residents
Summary
The Brentwood Union Free School District Board of Education voted Nov. 21 to implement the 'Brentwood Spartans' team name and mascot under a resolution citing 8 NYCRR Part 123. Several public commenters, including the Islip Town NAACP, urged the board to delay or reconsider the choice, calling it another ethnic selection.
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…
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