LIBERTY –– The Liberty Central School District could face potential penalties, including the loss of State Aid and removal of school officers, due to their mascot name, the “Indians.” 

The New York State Education Department (SED) Senior Deputy Commissioner James Baldwin released a statement on November 17 addressing all schools in the state with one message – the statewide “Dignity for All Students Act” now prohibits the use of discriminatory school mascots, including imagery or symbolism portraying Native Americans.

Baldwin said that a school district will be in “willful violation” of the Dignity Act should they fail to “affirmatively commit to replacing their Native American team names, logos, and imagery by the end of the 2022-2023 school year.”

The SED has had a history of opposing the use of such Native American imagery as mascots, team names, or logos, dating back at least two decades. 

When contacted regarding their plan moving forward, the Democrat received the following statement from the Liberty Central School District:

“Liberty Central School District is reviewing the mandate from the State Education Department banning the use of Native American imagery and mascots by schools. In the coming weeks, we will look at what options are available to us to comply with this mandate, and we will communicate our plans as they are formulated.”

It is currently undetermined exactly how much money it would cost the  Liberty Central School District to completely alter their current “Indians” mascot, logos, jerseys, murals, artwork, or any other imagery that is associated with Native Americans.

New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act, or the “Dignity Act,” is backed by various studies conducted across the board, including a 2020 literature review by Laurel R. Davis-Delano of Springfield College in Massachusetts, which concluded that the studies reviewed “demonstrate[d] either direct negative effects on Native Americans or that these mascots activate[d], reflect[ed], and/or reinforce[d] stereotyping and prejudice among non-Native persons.” 

A number of school districts throughout New York have conformed with the new rules, while some in the past have essentially chosen to retain the original mascots, names, and logos. However, with the implementation of the Dignity Act, there are steep penalties should schools choose the latter option.

“Schools are learning environments; students learn as much through observation of their surroundings as they do from direct instruction,” said Baldwin. “In addition to their legal obligations, boards of education that continue to utilize Native American mascots must reflect upon the message their choices convey to students, parents, and their communities.”