# 470: Massapequa School Board Candidate - Danielle Ocuto

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/tom-kelly-show-1219808/470-massapequa-school-board-candidate-danielle-ocuto
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/tom-kelly-show-1219808/470-massapequa-school-board-candidate-danielle-ocuto.md
Podcast: [Tom Kelly Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/tom-kelly-show-1219808)
Published: 2026-05-06T12:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.tomkellyshow.com/470-massapequa-school-board-candidate-danielle-ocuto
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thesnide/Ocuto_-MP3.mp3?dest-id=2087579
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/tom-kelly-show-1219808/episodes/470-massapequa-school-board-candidate-danielle-ocuto
Duration seconds: 2344

## Resource

Current Massapequa school board member and candidate Danielle Ocuto joins Tom at Paradise Studios in Massapequa for a wide-ranging discussion about: The "Save the Chief" mascot controversy Lawsuits and taxpayer money COVID-era mask debates Parent rights in schools Transgender bathroom and locker room policies Public comment at school board meetings Universal Pre-K And why local school board politics have become national news ⚠️ This episode is presented as a conversation and not an endorsement of any candidate or position. -------- Want To Record A Podcast Or Learn To Podcast? Recorded at Paradise Studios Massapequa - New York https://www.paradisestudiosny.com ----- ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 1:00 – "National politics are Massapequa politics now" 1:20 – Is the election closer than it appears online? 1:37 – "You have to be insane to run for school board" 2:16 – Danielle Ocuto explains why she first decided to run 2:31 – Volunteer work, Girl Scouts & PTA involvement 3:14 – Growing up in Massapequa 🪶 SAVE THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY 3:44 – Tom asks about "Save the Chief" 3:59 – Danielle explains the mascot debate 4:22 – Kathy Hochul's mandate explained 4:30 – Why Massapequa became the district leading the lawsuit 5:10 – Fighting Irish vs Vikings vs Chiefs 5:36 – The financial side of replacing the mascot 7:08 – Tom shares his thoughts on the mascot debate 7:53 – Discussion about Native American outreach 💰 LAWSUITS & TAXPAYER MONEY 9:48 – "How much are we willing to spend?" 10:07 – Danielle pushes back on the $600K figure 10:49 – COVID-related lawsuits included in the total 11:15 – Breaking down the district budget 11:51 – Is there a cap on "Saving the Chief" legal spending? 😷 COVID, MASKS & SCHOOL BOARD POLITICS 12:07 – Cuomo, masks & hindsight 12:33 – "Maybe Massapequa wasn't so outlandish…

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