On Sep. 9, a federal judge ruled that the Shenandoah County School Board violated the Constitution when it revived a school’s former name, NBC News reports.
Stonewall Jackson High School changed its name in 2020. Once the name of the Confederate general was restored, opponents argued that its use forced students to become living representations of a Confederate legacy, which affected their education.
The decision emerged from a lawsuit brought by the Virginia NAACP along with parents and students who said the board’s May 2024 vote to restore the school’s violated their rights.
U.S. District Judge Michael F. Urbanski agreed.
“When plaintiffs’ bodies, hard work, talents, and achievements are intertwined with the name ‘Stonewall Jackson,’ plaintiffs are enlisted in conferring honor on that name,” Urbanski wrote, “and because that name conveys a message well-understood by viewers in plaintiffs’ community, plaintiffs are enlisted in conferring honor on that message by extension.”
The plaintiffs argued that students who wear the “Generals” mascot or attend the renamed high school are not simply attending a school. They are being forced to promote a message that they support the confederacy; many, of course, do not.
The court agreed, saying that First Amendment protections against compelled speech apply.
Despite the ruling on the compelled speech claim, the court held off on ordering a name change. Urbanski denied a final judgment and deferred enforcing relief until other claims—such as violations of Title VI, equal protection, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act—are fully examined.
A trial is set to start Dec. 8.
For many families and civil rights advocates involved, the ruling is a step toward ensuring that public symbols align with constitutional values and protections, not just tradition.
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