The Virginia chapter of the NAACP, along with five students, has announced plans to file a lawsuit against the Shenandoah County Public School Board on Tuesday, June 11. This federal lawsuit follows the board’s decision to reinstate Confederate names at two Virginia schools.
The lawsuit contends that the school board’s action to change the names has created “an unlawful and discriminatory educational environment for Black students.” The filing further alleges that the renaming violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s Equal Education Opportunities Act.
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In May, the board reversed its 2020 decision to rename Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby-Lee Elementary School, a decision initially made during the Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s death.
The reversal to Confederate names came after a conservative group, the Coalition for Better Schools, lobbied for the restoration, claiming that the names are a significant part of the community’s heritage — a sentiment reportedly shared by over 90% of the local residents in a poll.
“Students walking through the halls of the newly renamed Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Elementary School will be constantly reminded of Confederate legacies that enslaved and discriminated against people of African descent,” NAACP Chapter President Rev. Cozy Bailey said regarding the lawsuit. “This community deserves better.”
