Virginia NAACP sues over schools with Confederate names

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Virginia chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit saying school names that commemorate Confederate leaders "champion a legacy of segregation and oppression."

The federal lawsuit was filed against Hanover County and the school board for the district located outside Richmond, Va.

The suit argues that Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School violate the rights of African-American students whose ancestors were held in slavery during the Civil War. The NAACP wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to "eradicate the vestiges of a shameful, racist educational system in Hanover County" by ordering the schools be renamed.

The children who participate in school activities will represent the school, which the NAACP said violates the First Amendment guarantee to being free from compelled speech.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/08/16/Virginia-NAACP-sues-over-schools-with-Confederate-names/1881565982662/