With one of the first integrated public school systems in the nation, a process which started with Stratford Junior High School in 1959, Arlington County Public Schools (APS) has come under fire for the name of Washington-Lee High School. This is because many people do not feel the name makes the school a safe space for all races and backgrounds. This debate was struck up after several individuals said that they did not feel comfortable honoring Robert E. Lee, one of the men the school was named after.

This public outpour against Lee was due to his role during the Civil War as the commander of the Confederate States Army, which fought to keep slavery in the nation. Being that Arlington has an ever-growing, diverse population, many residents are uncomfortable with the idea of supporting a man who stood for racist ideals during the war.

At the school board meeting on June 7, 2018, there were citizens who defended the name, and others who did not, with representation from both sides of the argument. The people who defended the name of the high school were mainly alumni, stating that they were proud of their school and wanted the name to live on in history as being an outstanding school.

Those who wished for the name change to occur brought up the fact that many students who do not agree with the ideals of the Confederacy are forced into celebrating school pride and their mascot, the Generals (the nickname given to Lee and George Washington) with items ranging from tee-shirts to banners hung up at football games.

One of the main problems APS faces with the name change occurred after they decided to revise the policy which deals with the criteria for changing the names of public facilities. Part 1b of policy F-6.1 crafted by the School Board states that “The individual’s ‘principal legacy’ (i.e. the key activity, advocacy or accomplishment for which the individual is most known) aligns with or reflects the APS mission, vision, and core values and beliefs.”

The School Board has been advised by many residents to clear up the terms “principal legacy” and “beliefs” of the county, since the exact definition does not appear within the policy. Due to these undefined terms used in the policy, many found it a struggle to decide on whether Lee’s true principal legacy was leading the Confederacy or if it was his efforts to unite the country after the war.

Another problem brought along with Policy F-6.1 in the board meeting was where the policy claims that “Future school renaming requests must be submitted in writing to the Arlington School Board.” This part of the policy left the question of whether or not many previous requests to change the name of Washington-Lee High School were valid because none were in writing, as the policy mandates.

Since June, a lawsuit has been filed by several seniors who currently attend Washington-Lee High School, attempting to slow or dismiss the name change. The students claim that the Board did not follow their procedures when they changed the aforementioned policy and then started to change the name of Washington-Lee right away, without input from the community or the school’s students.

However, the county claims that there is no basis for this lawsuit since if the name were to change next year, the individuals who filed the lawsuit would not be affected it. Due to the fact that the lawsuit is ongoing, the School Board, Washington-Lee principal and Washington-Lee students have been asked not to comment until the case is over.