Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The debate continues over whether to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, which was named after a Confederate army general.
Residents on both sides weighed in on the issue at a school board meeting Thursday.
“We have a duty to our community to not carry forward the relics of hate from a century ago into the future,” said George Alber with the Fairfax County NAACP.
Alber said the NAACP regards the name as inappropriate and not reflective of the diverse community, but others disagreed with that.
“I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, there is less hatred and less racism in the halls of Jeb Stuart than anywhere else I have ever been. Please leave our school alone,” said alumnus Reid Voss. The former student added that changing the name of the school would just be fixing a problem that doesn’t exist.
Another argument made against the name change was that it would cost nearly $700,000.
Alumnus Nicholas Pisciotta said the money could be better spent on teacher bonuses, counselors and after school programs, which would help the school more than a name change ever could.
Alber contends this is not a financial issue. “It’s a moral question about justice, equality, human rights and reconciliation,” he said.
The school board will decide sometime this month whether to set up a study group to look into changing the name.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Hal Jespersen/Wikimedia)
