Montgomery County Board of Education Board President Clare Weil during Tuesday,

June 9, 2020 meeting

Last week the statue in front of Lee High School was toppled from the Ann Street
campus. Personally, I wish the manner that the statue was removed was under different
circumstances, but regardless of how it fell, now that it is gone, it is my intention that it
is never returned.

I also hope that this body will join me in reviewing our system’s school naming policies
and remove the name of confederate leaders from our facilities.

I am personally offended by these names and the intent behind them when they were
named.

It is long past time for these changes to happen. Both moves are something a majority
in our community have requested for years. The toppling of the statue has presented us
a moment to right these wrongs.

Neither task will be easy.

I have asked our legal team to review the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017
to determined what fines or penalties MPS would be subject to. However, I believe we
cannot let this law become an excuse for not acting. In just one week, more than 20,000
people have signed a petition encouraging us to take these steps. Countless others
have emailed, texted, messaged, and called. I am confident these petitioners will help us
do what is necessary to overcome this and other barriers.

That is why I am asking this board to create a community committee to guide us in this
process.

Ultimately, what the school is named should not be up to us to decide in a vacuum. Our
decisions will resonate long after some of us have left this board for other endeavors.
We must hear, and more importantly, we must listen to our students, families, alumni
and community partners.

Lastly, I want to remind this body that our job is not only to make sure our students can
attend a school where they are not ashamed or embarrassed by the legacy it represents,
but also to ensure that the institution's educational quality is worthy of the name we put
on its’ door.
Our schools have made great strides in recent months. If MPS is to continue this
momentum, we must move forward together.