The state Education Department has denied the Massapequa school district’s request for an extension to comply with a ban on Native American mascots, names and imagery, citing a lack of “good cause” effort, state officials said in a letter Friday.

“The District’s extension request reveals that nothing whatsoever has been done to eliminate the use of its 'Chiefs' name, logo or mascot,” state officials wrote in a letter to the district. “Indeed, at times, the District has suggested that it has no intention of complying with these regulations."

The state cited as an example a recent fundraiser held at Massapequa High School that raised $10,000 for the district’s legal fight against the mascot ban.

In an emailed statement Friday, the Massapequa school board said the "ban on Native American names and imagery is blatantly discriminatory and a clear violation of civil rights. We remain confident that we will prevail in federal court and see this unconstitutional regulation struck down.”

The state Board of Regents in 2023 banned the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools and had set a deadline of June 30, 2025, to comply. The mandate affected 13 districts on Long Island, most of which have taken steps to comply with the regulation.

The Massapequa, Wyandanch, Wantagh and Connetquot districts had challenged the mandate in federal court, seeking to either keep their names or nullify the state regulation, Newsday has reported. A federal judge ruled against the districts in March.

The Wantagh, Wyandanch and Connetquot districts filed appeals. The Massapequa district, whose mascot is a Native American in a headdress, has filed an amended complaint.

The Wyandanch district announced last week that it had changed its name from the Warriors to the Wolves, and that it was taking steps to choose a new mascot design. 

Deadline extensions have been granted to the Wantagh and Connetquot districts.

Wantagh was given an additional year to comply with the mandate, while Connetquot’s deadline was extended to March 1, state officials said.

In Friday’s letter, state officials noted that the districts that were granted extensions had demonstrated “good faith” efforts toward compliance.

Massapequa school officials said last week that the district had sent a letter to the state Education Department “demanding a suspension of enforcement" of what it called a "discriminatory regulation."

The district had pointed to the findings of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which determined that the mascot ban violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. District officials argued that enforcing the ban would "compel the District to act in direct violation of federal law."

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it had referred its investigation to the Department of Justice. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment earlier this week on the matter.

State officials wrote in their letter to the district Friday that, “An investigation by the U.S Department of Education...has no bearing on our conclusion that good cause for an extension has not been shown."

A spokesperson for the state Education Department said Friday that no immediate action would be taken against districts that fail to comply with the ban by June 30.

“While no consequence will occur automatically, the Department will promptly investigate any alleged noncompliance,” J.P. O'Hare, the state education department's communications director, said in an emailed statement.

Newsday's Tara Smith contributed to this story.