⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Second Circuit hears two linked appeals over New York's restriction on Native American school names, logos, and mascots. Massapequa's school district wants to keep its Chiefs name and logo. It signed an agreement with the Native American Guardian's Association, a private advocacy group, linking support for those symbols to teaching about Native American history and culture. The group also sued. The lower court refused to let the district revive its claims and dismissed the group's lawsuit, largely because of limits on who may sue. Capacity asks whether a public school district may sue the state that created it. Standing asks whether these particular challengers have a concrete injury that a court can remedy. The district will contend that federal-law claims overcome the barrier to its suit. The group will rely on its agreement as a source of injury. The state will argue that neither route works. The central distinction is between opposing the mascot policy and having a legal right to challenge it.

Massapequa Union Free School District v. New York State Board of Regents (No. 25-3151) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued November 6, 2026.