Naacp files lawsuit over school names honoring confederate leaders

SHENANDOAH COUNTY, VA — The NAACP Virginia State Conference has initiated a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Shenandoah County School Board. The lawsuit stems from the board’s decision to rename two local schools after Confederate leaders, reverting to the schools’ previous names.

On May 9, the school board voted to change the names of Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School back to Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School, respectively. These names reflect three Confederate figures: Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, and Turner Ashby, known for their roles in the Confederacy.

The 62-page lawsuit alleges that this decision infringes upon the First and Fourteenth Amendments as it creates a discriminatory environment for Black students, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.

Historically, the names were removed in June 2020 due to their discriminatory connotations and officially changed in January 2021. However, the May 10 decision to revert to the Confederate names has been met with significant backlash. The plaintiffs argue that this act represents a regression to a period marked by racism and exclusion of Black students, continuing to propagate symbols of racial oppression.

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