After court fight, Amityville chooses 'Hawks' as their school mascot - Newsday
Athletic teams in the Amityville Union Free School District have a new mascot.
One year after the district sued the New York State Board of Regents seeking federal permission to keep its long-standing Warriors team names, Amityville has announced its teams will now be called the Hawks.
The announcement comes months after the district dropped that lawsuit, and following a process that leaders said involved soliciting the opinions of the community.
The other finalists were the Cardinals, Storm and Tide, the district said.
Amityville was one of 13 districts on Long Island impacted by a statewide mandate to remove all references and imagery following a mascot ban related to Native American team names.
"While I understand that changing our mascot brings strong emotions for some, I am hopeful that we can move forward together, united in pride for our school community," superintendent Gina Talbert said in a statement.
Students will now vote on an official Hawks logo, which school officials said will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
