A federal judge in Virginia has ordered a local school board to rename two schools that had their original Confederate monikers restored in 2024. Judge Michael F. Urbanski ruled that the decision to reinstate the names of Confederate officers discriminated against Black students, citing violations of the 14th Amendment and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.
The case centered on Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary, which had previously removed Confederate names in 2020. The school board voted 5-1 to reverse those changes last year. In his ruling, Judge Urbanski noted that these names serve as remnants of a segregationist history and create an environment that is not free from racial discrimination.
The Virginia NAACP brought the lawsuit on behalf of six families. They argued that the school board acted with full awareness of the history and impact of these symbols. The ruling requires the district to select new names for the schools on a nondiscriminatory basis. The court emphasized that public schools should be places where all students feel welcome, rather than environments that force them to encounter symbols of a past defined by racial division.
The attorney for the school board did not provide an immediate comment on the ruling. Representatives for the NAACP called the decision a victory for the students, noting that the original naming practice was deeply rooted in racial discrimination. The district is now tasked with finding new names for the facilities.