Breaking News

More () »

Education

Baton Rouge high school gets new name amid racism outcries

Board member Tramelle Howard cast the lone vote against but didn’t say why, The Advocate reported.

Credit: AP

In this photo taken Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 11th grade students learn about the D-Day invasion at Normandy during an advanced placement history class at Crossroads FLEX school in Cary, N.C. Its 75th anniversary brings extra classroom attention to D-Day, which has waned as a topic that’s emphasized in schools across the world. In a North Carolina classroom, students learn about spies, the deadly military practice before D-Day and a general who kept his plans "on the down low." (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

BATON ROUGE, La. — A Louisiana high school that bears the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is getting a new name.

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board agreed Thursday, on an 8-1 vote, to rename Lee High School to Liberty High School in response to years of outcry over the former name and recent protests against racism and police brutality.

Board member Tramelle Howard cast the lone vote against but didn’t say why, The Advocate reported.

Opponents of the Lee name said it was inappropriate for a school that is 80% Black to be named after a Confederate leader and slave owner.

More Stories:

RELATED: La. House speaker cautions against revoking virus emergency

RELATED: Louisiana inmate allegedly rapes guard, faces new charges

► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.

‎New Orleans News from WWL

‎Stay up-to-date with the latest news and weather in the New Orleans area on the all-new free WWL TV app. Our app features the latest breaking news that impacts you and your family, interactive weather and radar, and live video from our newscasts and local events. LOCAL & BREAKING NEWS * Receive r...