Renaming Of Robert E. Lee High School To Be Considered

SPRINGFIELD, VA — The Fairfax County School Board voted Thursday to begin consideration of renaming Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield.

NBC4 reported that the board "wants the renaming to move quickly." The vote starts the process of renaming, which will involve seeking public feedback.

One student told NBC4 the school name was "outdated" and "egregious" in a school with a largely minority student body. In the 2018-2019 school year, Lee High School's student population was 43.42 percent Hispanic or Latino, 25.01 percent Asian, 16.28 percent white, 12.74 percent black and 2.54 percent classified as "other."

Allison Fantz, a 2015 Lee High School graduate, is asking for people to sign a letter in support of removing the Confederate general's name. "The name change should reflect the egalitarian values that our community now holds, as opposed to reflecting the divisive history of Virginia," the letter states.

The change would follow the renaming of J.E.B. Stuart High School to Justice High School in the 2018-2019 school year. That decision didn't pass without division in the community. A community vote in September 2017 found the top name choice was "Stuart" followed by varying forms of Justice, but the school board voted to adopt the latter as the new name.