(CNN) 鈥� The NAACP in Virginia and five students filed a federal lawsuit against the Shenandoah County school board in response to their of two schools that previously honored Confederate leaders 鈥� nearly four years after a decision was made to change them.
鈥滲y celebrating the memory of these traitors every time a child walked through the school doors, by embracing the cold wind of intolerance and division and insensitivity, the Shenandoah County School Board has resurrected the ghosts of the Jim Crow era,鈥� NAACP Virginia State Conference President the Rev. Cozy Bailey said at a news conference.
The lawsuit asks the court to require the school board to remove the confederate names and mascots and to declare that the board violated the Constitution by reinstating the school names.
CNN has reached out to all six members of the school board and the superintendent of Shenandoah County Public Schools for comment.
Making Black students attend schools honoring Confederate leaders violates their constitutional rights, according to the lawsuit.
鈥淧laintiffs bring this case to redress the creation and maintenance of a discriminatory environment that erodes their right to receive an education and to be free from compelled speech they consider vile,鈥� the suit says. 鈥淩equiring Plaintiffs to attend schools named in honor of prominent members of the Confederacy and compelling Plaintiffs to identify as members of the Stonewall Jackson 鈥淕enerals鈥� violates Plaintiffs鈥� rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.鈥�
Plaintiff Briana Brown, a rising 12th-grader at the Massanutten Regional Governor鈥檚 School, based at Mountain View High School, said she was directly impacted by the board鈥檚 decision.
鈥淲hen I found out about the school board鈥檚 decision, I felt unwelcome in a place that I go every day to, which should never be the case,鈥� Brown said at the news conference. 鈥溾€� This decision has made me realize that I need to speak out about what I believe in and empower people to use their voices for positive change. I refuse to be afraid any longer.鈥�
The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
鈥淎 Black high schooler who wants to play on the soccer team must wear the Stonewall Jackson 鈥楪enerals鈥� uniform. The student must honor a Confederate leader who fought to keep Black people in chains as slaves,鈥� said an NCAA attorney, Marja Plater, senior counsel with Washington Lawyers鈥� Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. 鈥淓xposing children to this persistent racism and hate harms their self-worth and long-term health.鈥�
In a 5-1 vote on May 9, the school board decided to reinstate the names Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School. The names honor Confederate Gens. Thomas 鈥淪tonewall鈥� Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby.
The schools have been called Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School since July 2021, according to聽.
At the time of the vote, several board members criticized how the names were previously changed. Board member Thomas Streett, who voted in favor of restoring the names, described it as a 鈥渒nee-jerk reaction鈥� that had a lack of involvement from the community, and board member Gloria E. Carlineo told CNN that their decision had nothing to do with聽race. It was based on doing things the right way, she said.
鈥淚 spoke about not changing history,鈥� said Bailey. 鈥淎nyone who says that we can eliminate a discussion about race when we talk about social justice in this country, they鈥檙e the ones who are attempting to change history.鈥�
The-CNN-Wire
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