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Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says NY Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says NY Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit
Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says NY Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit Federal officials are siding with the Massapequa Chiefs — and threatening action against New York over its ban on Native American school mascots. In a dramatic visit to Massapequa High School on Friday, May 30, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that New York’s statewide mascot policy violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that state officials illegally targeted Native American imagery while allowing other race- and et…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
High School Coach Under Investigation, Removed From Team Duties In Hudson Valley: Officials High School Coach Under Investigation, Removed From Team Duties In Hudson Valley: Officials
High School Coach Under Investigation, Removed From Team Duties In Hudson Valley: Officials A varsity softball coach at an Orange County high school has been removed from team activities while the district investigates unspecified allegations, officials confirmed.  In a letter dated Thursday, May 8, Minisink Valley Central School District administrators said they became aware of allegations involving the high school’s varsity softball head coach late the night before and acted immediately to launch an internal investigation. As a result, the coach, who was not named, has been removed from all team practices and games “for the duration of our investigation,” the district said.…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
VIDEO: NY Dad Keeps Promise To Son—And Degree—In Viral Commencement Chase VIDEO: NY Dad Keeps Promise To Son—And Degree—In Viral Commencement Chase
Video: NY Dad Keeps Promise To Son—And Degree—In Viral Commencement Chase A University at Buffalo graduate turned his commencement into a viral family affair. Jean-Paul Al-Arab made headlines when he sprinted across the stage while carrying his infant son–and while being chased by campus police–at UB’s College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18. Al-Arab, who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in 2022, earned his bachelor or arts degree in criminology all while working overnight restaurant shifts and being the primary caretaker for his son during the day while his wife worked, he told NPR. “I promised myself and I promised him …

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Judge Halts Trump Administration's Block On Harvard Foreign Students (UPDATE) Judge Halts Trump Administration's Block On Harvard Foreign Students (UPDATE)
Judge Halts Trump Administration's Block On Harvard Foreign Students (Update) A federal judge has temporarily stopped the Trump administration's attempt to block Harvard University from hosting international students in the President's latest political attack on the Ivy League school. Massachusetts District Court Judge Allison Burroughs issued the ruling on Friday, May 23. The pause came just hours after Harvard announced the lawsuit over the Department of Homeland Security's decision to revoke the university's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. The suit claims the move was meant to punish Harvard for rejecting Pr…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Trump Administration Bans Harvard From Enrolling International Students Trump Administration Bans Harvard From Enrolling International Students
Trump Administration Bans Harvard From Enrolling International Students The Department of Homeland Security has taken away Harvard University's ability to host international students in President Donald Trump's latest political attack on the Ivy League college. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the department announced on Thursday, May 22. The Trump administration has accused the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university of allowing "anti-American, pro-terrorist" foreign students to disrupt campus life. The decision puts the legal status in doubt for Harvard's nearly 6,80…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Dismantling Education Department Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Dismantling Education Department
Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Dismantling Education Department In a decisive legal ruling, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the Department of Education, mandating the reinstatement of employees who were terminated.  US District Judge Myong Joun of Massachusetts said the department cannot be shut down without Congressional approval. In his injunction, Joun also told the administration to reinstate Education Department employees who lost their jobs during the reduction-in-force announced on Tuesday, March 11, "to restore the Department to the status quo." President Trump issued an executive order on Thursda…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Student’s Fentanyl-Laced Vape Scare Prompts Urgent Warning From Area School District Student’s Fentanyl-Laced Vape Scare Prompts Urgent Warning From Area School District
Student’s Fentanyl-Laced Vape Scare Prompts Urgent Warning From Area School District A frightening incident at a New York school has prompted a stern warning from educators about the dangers of black-market marijuana products. In a letter sent to parents on Monday, May 19, the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District detailed a recent case in central New York where a student collapsed on campus after taking a single puff from a marijuana vape. The vape, which was later tested, came back positive for fentanyl—a powerful synthetic opioid, Superintendent Randy Squie said. The student was administered multiple doses of Narcan, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid ove…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
High School Employee Under Investigation For Inappropriate Conduct In Dutchess: Officials High School Employee Under Investigation For Inappropriate Conduct In Dutchess: Officials
High School Employee Under Investigation For Inappropriate Conduct In Dutchess: Officials A staff member at a Dutchess County high school has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate conduct, school district and law enforcement officials confirmed.  In a letter sent to families on Thursday, May 15, Arlington Central School District Superintendent Philip Benante acknowledged the serious nature of the report and said the district, which includes large parts of the towns of LaGrange, Pleasant Valley, Beekman, Poughkeepsie, and Union Vale, acted swiftly after learning of the allegations.  "Upon receiving this report, we immediately no…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent
Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent A Pennsylvania kindergartener handed out alcoholic Jell-O cups to classmates at school, alarming parents and prompting a hospital visit, school officials said. The incident happened at Johnstown Elementary School in Cambria County earlier on Wednesday, May 14, according to a statement from Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Dr. Amy Arcurio. Three students reportedly ingested alcohol from the Jell-O shots before staff intervened. All affected children were evaluated by the school nurse and then taken by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment. Parents met their children t…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever
He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever Tom Maniscalco was 18 when he first stepped onto the Rutgers campus in 1957. Nearly 70 years later, he’s graduating. At 85 years old. The Garfield resident will earn a master’s degree in engineering this week, becoming Rutgers’ oldest graduate in school history, the university said. “It’s a sense of accomplishment at my age,” Maniscalco said. Maniscalco originally enrolled at Rutgers to study mechanical engineering, but flunked out after one semester. He got an A in calculus and a B in physics, but failed engineering drawing. “Of all things, engineering drawing! And I became a design engi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
NY School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old Boy, DOJ Says NY School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old Boy, DOJ Says
NY School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old Boy, DOJ Says A New York school lacrosse coach is accused of coercing a teen boy into sending him sexually explicit content using a fake identity online, federal prosecutors said. Joseph Garofalo, of Valley Stream, is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York on Friday, April 18. Garofalo, an assistant lacrosse coach at Valley Stream Central High School, was arrested following a months-long investigation by the FBI’s Long Island Child Exploitation Task Force. According to a criminal complaint, Garofalo posed as someon…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Swatting Threat Triggers Emergency Response At School In Dutchess County Swatting Threat Triggers Emergency Response At School In Dutchess County
Swatting Threat Triggers Emergency Response At School In Dutchess County A false phone threat forced a lockdown at a Dutchess County boarding school, prompting a rapid response from police and school officials. The incident happened around 1:25 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, when the Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling received a threatening phone call shortly after being notified of a similar threat by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, Head of School William Taylor said.  Within minutes, the campus was placed under protective protocols, and all students, staff, faculty, and family members were secured safely, according to Taylor. Law enforcement from both th…

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by Ben Crnic