The Massapequa School Board is waging culture wars with our tax dollars at the expense of our children.
Scroll for more info.
On September 9th the Massapequa School Board passed a resolution denying transgender students access to their affirming bathrooms and locker rooms.
This ban is in violation of state law and the state constitution. On October 15th the policy was stayed. As we had predicted on this website, the board knew their policy was illegal and would be overturned, which is why the district retained Holtzman Vogel, a DC law firm specializing in conservative political advocacy. On October 22nd, the Massapequa School District filed a federal appeal, continuing the ongoing and costly legal action: part of a pre-meditated, long-term legal strategy.
The five members of the Massapequa school board have a long history of politically motivated actions, spending taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits at the expense of our children, our reputation, and the trust of the community.
Do you want to stop seeing The Massapequa School District in the news for the wrong reasons?
For a full timeline of the Boards past political actions, keep scrolling
2020
The Massapequa School District sues Section VIII, the governing body for school sports, to allow sports to continue during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Massapequa is the only school district to file such a suit. The case is dismissed within a month. The judge notes “Massapequa skipped over the appeals process before bringing the suit and failed to exhaust its administrative remedies."
2021
Massapequa and Locust Valley school districts file a joint lawsuit to end the mask mandate. Two months later, the lawsuit is denied. The school spends over $70,000 of taxpayer money on the case.
2023
The Board refuses to comply with the state’s Native American Mascot Ban, choosing to retain their mascot…
…a culturally inaccurate representation of a Plains Indian wearing a war bonnet. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman attends the board meeting as a "very special guest" and pledges to join the fight. He remarks, to the board’s laughter, "This is going to drive the woke people crazy."
The Board declines to work with local tribes for approval, which is the legally viable option to retain the mascot.
They claim “conversations stalled,” but provide no transparency or documentation.
Massapequa and three other districts sue the State of New York to keep their mascots.
The judge dismisses the poorly-filed case because school districts cannot be plaintiffs against the state. Massapequa spends more than $100,000 of taxpayer money on the case. All other districts begin changing their names. Massapequa is the only school district in New York that remains noncompliant.
President Trump posts his support for the board on Truth Social.
Spring 2025
A week later, he posts a photo of himself on Instagram with a Massapequa sweatshirt.
Board President Kerry Wachter appears on Fox News, disregards the judicial system and the judge who ruled on the mascot case as “an Obama appointed judge” and declares, “We are a patriotic town and we love Trump."
She actually went on Fox News several times.
The board sends a letter to Linda McMahon asking President Trump to intervene, issue an executive order to protect the mascot, and to redirect state education funds directly to Massapequa.
The board hosts a political rally with Linda McMahon in the high school gymnasium during school hours.
McMahon, who is working to dismantle the Department of Education, attends alongside Bruce Blakeman, champion of the Nassau county transgender sports ban. Students scheduled for gym class at that time are requested to sit in the bleachers as an “audience for the festivities”. Frank Black Cloud, a representative of NAGA, a Montana-based Native American advocacy group funded in part by former Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, declares the event to be “NAGA meets MAGA”. This event is funded by the school.
A "Save the Chiefs" rally is held in the high school parking lot.
Board President Kerry Wachter attends and speaks at a “Save The Chiefs” rally, where MAGA and Trump merchandise is displayed, sold, and celebrated. Though students are present, this is not a student led event. The organizers and vendors are not students, and the vehicles pictured do not belong to students.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Board president Kerry Wachter, and vice president member Jeanine Caramore.
All photos from the “Save The Chief’s” rally, held June 7th, 2025, on Massapequa school grounds.
At the urging of the board, Linda McMahon refers the mascot case to the Department of Justice
The board holds an emergency meeting at noon on a school day, giving members of the community notice at 7pm the night before. The Board approves joining the DoJ’s civil rights lawsuit which claims that it is discriminatory against Native American’s to prevent majority-white districts from using Native American mascots at the exclusion of banning other cultural mascots (Vikings, Fighting Irish). This is viewed by many legal experts as a gross misinterpretation of the intent of civil rights law, and this argument has failed in court in every previous case, including the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians. The cost of this ongoing litigation is still unknown.
Without previous public reading or community review, the board unanimously passes a policy that determines bathroom and locker room access by sex assigned at birth—in direct violation of state law.
September 9th, 2025
At the same board meeting they also approve a resolution to retain Holtzman Vogel, a large firm based out of D.C. with a strong track record of championing GOP policies. Previously, they represented Governor DeSantis' administration, defending his anti-trans policies.
October 15th, 2025
Commissioner Betty Rosa orders a stay and declares Massapequa BOE cannot enforce this policy.
October 15th, 2025 (again)
This is the Board’s third lawsuit filing for the mascot. The lawsuit lists BOE President Kerry Wachter, BOE VP Jeanine Caramore, “Save the Chiefs Foundation Inc.” and Laura Christopher, a Massapequa resident of Cherokee descent, as plaintiffs. The Shinnecock Nation, the only federally recognized tribe on Long Island, has maintained that they are deeply offended by the Massapequa “Chiefs” mascot.
The same day Massapequa’s anti-trans policy is stayed, the Massapequa BOE quietly files (another) lawsuit to protect the Chiefs mascot.
October 15th, 2025 (yes, still October 15th)
Locust Valley, a school district with a history of joining Massapequa in doomed lawsuits, passes a nearly identical anti-trans policy.
Locust Valley retains the same lawyer as Massapequa, Nick Rigano. Two days later the policy is stayed by the commissioner. A letter from New York’s Attorney General to Locust Valley’s BOE states “The attorney you have hired for this issue, Mr. Rigano, was aware of this order as he received it via email over 24 hours before your board voted on the resolution. We presume that Mr. Rigano informed you of its contents and applicability. “
October 22nd, 2025
The Massapequa BOE announces they have filed a federal appeal, indicating the beginning of a long, expensive, and avoidable legal battle.
This behavior is not normal.
It is a pattern of escalating political theater that places students at risk and erodes trust in our institutions.
Every school district in New York faces the same challenges. But only one consistently chooses division, conflict, and costly lawsuits over conversation, collaboration, and student safety.
Massapequa has a population of nearly 50,000. Yet only 1,700 votes were cast in the last school board election. For the past six years, board members have run unopposed.
We are organizing to run new candidates in the upcoming May elections.
We believe Massapequa deserves better.
If you want to protect our schools, restore trust, and stop dangerous politicization then sign up!