School renames 'Thunderbirds' to 'T-Birds' in accordance with New York's prohibition on team names inspired by Native American cultures.

In a significant development, the Connetquot Central School District in New York has agreed to change its nickname from "Thunderbirds" to "T-Birds" to comply with a state mandate.

The decision comes after a vote by the school board to approve a proposed settlement in its lawsuit challenging the state regulation. The settlement involves the district withdrawing its appeal of a federal judge's decision that dismissed a lawsuit over the state mascot regulation.

The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the Connetquot school district's handling of the name change issue in July. However, the department declined to weigh in, citing the ongoing investigation.

The "Thunderbird" is a mythical creature associated with storms and is a powerful spirit and benevolent protector in many indigenous traditions. The school originally calling itself the "Thunderbirds" had hoped to revert back to the name if the state regulation is repealed or overturned.

The school district is allowed to continue using imagery such as an eagle, thunderbolt, or lightning bolt, provided the "T-Birds" moniker has no association with Indigenous imagery.

Native American advocates argue that the proposed name change does not meet the spirit of the 2023 state regulation, which aims to eliminate harmful and offensive names and mascots. Joseph Pierce, director of Native American studies at Stony Brook University, questions how much the proposed new nickname will change the way people describe Connetquot and its teams.

Meanwhile, the Massapequa school district has vowed to "never back down" from its efforts to preserve its Native American headdress-wearing "Chiefs" logo. The statement from Massapequa's board of education called Connetquot's name change efforts "deeply disappointing".

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon called on New York to rescind its ban during a visit to Massapequa, another Long Island town that refuses to stop calling its sports teams the Chiefs. John Kane, a member of the Mohawk tribe, has for years called on local schools to change offensive names and mascots.

Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Education opposed efforts to erase Native American names and imagery from sports teams. However, the department's stance may change under the current administration.

As the situation unfolds, both school districts continue to face pressure from Native American advocates and the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider their names and mascots. The Connetquot school district didn't respond to requests for comment Thursday.