Manhasset Superintendent Gaurav Passi presented his recommendations to the board of education Thursday night on how to change the district’s mascot.
The state DOE released a memo on Nov. 17 informing school districts such as Manhasset to adopt a resolution–passed last month by the board–to eliminate all indigenous names, logos and mascots by the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Legacy and memorial items in the district are considered historical artifacts and will not be removed or changed, Passi said.
Passi’s proposal included soliciting team names from the community and creating a committee of volunteers to review suggestions before voting.
“Our goal is to develop a team name that represents Manhasset’s unique character, culture, traditions and history and symbolizes our strive for excellence while projecting a positive image for Manhasset Public Schools,” Passi said.
The district’s colors of blue and orange should remain and not be considered for change, Passi recommended.
He said the volunteer committee, which would include students, would be charged with defining the characteristics, qualities, uniqueness and relatability of the new mascot, among other things. After concluding with a final number of mascot names, the superintendent said the final vote would go to Manhasset Secondary School students.
“This way our students get a sense of ownership and pride in selecting a new team name,” Passi said.
Trustees Erin Royce and Nadia Giannopoulos asked for clarifications on how the actual polling would be done and how to make sure the Manhasset community, along with district alumni, would be the only groups sending suggestions. Passi said the mechanics of gathering suggestions, establishing parameters on a new mascot and the final approval process would be determined by the committee.
“This is a nuanced discussion that requires thoughtful deliberation,” Passi said.
He also recommended sending out a citizen’s advisory committee from which the board would review and select volunteers.
When the new mascot is finalized by no later than the 2024-2025 school year, Passi said district employees wil be obligated not to wear clothing with the old logo and he is looking into getting potential donations for new polo shirts for employees when the time comes.
The history of Manhasset’s “Indian” mascot is traced back to the Matinecock Indian Tribe, a group that occupied a majority of the Town of North Hempstead.
The Matinecocks were forcibly removed from the territory, with Manhasset keeping the “Indian” mascot name along with having an orange feather attached to the “M” in their logo and calling their newspaper “Indian Ink.”
