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- By Native News Online Staff
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) and Massapequa Union Free School District seeking to block New York’s ban on Indigenous mascots — including the continued use of the “Chiefs” name.
In a Nov. 14, 2025 decision, U.S. District Court Judge Sanket J. Bulsara ruled that NAGA lacked legal standing. The group did not own the “Chiefs” mascot, held no trademark, and could not license it — making its agreement with the district “illusory” and unable to confer a concrete legal injury. The judge wrote that the purported contract between NAGA and the district “does nothing,” and that Massapequa “has never needed NAGA’s permission to use the Chiefs mascot.”
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Because of the standing defect, the court did not reach the merits of the parties’ claims — including alleged First Amendment or equal-protection violations.
In a brief statement following the ruling, district officials vowed the community’s “fight” was far from over. They said they plan to appeal, and may seek other legal strategies to preserve the “Chiefs” name and imagery.
Even before the lawsuit, the community had drawn scrutiny when the ban by the New York State Board of Regents took effect in 2023, forcing public schools to abandon Indigenous mascots, names or logos unless used only for classroom instruction.
Despite the ruling, the broader cultural and constitutional debate over the regulation — which the judge flagged as potentially subject to “the most demanding form of judicial scrutiny” — remains unresolved.
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