TULSA -- Tulsa Public Schools officials say they plan to review the names of schools in the district after a petition was created to rename a local elementary school in the wake of the Charlottesville, Virginia crash that killed one person and injured at least 19 others.
The petition on www.change.org seeks to rename Lee Elementary School, which was named after Robert E. Lee.
TPS officials released the following statement about the petition:
"We are heartbroken by the events that unfolded in Charlottesville this weekend. This blatant display of racism and bigotry by a misguided, misinformed group of white supremacists is alarming, troubling, and deeply hurtful to everyone in our community. Every person deserves love, respect, and dignity, and we remain committed to effecting transformative change by putting equity at the forefront of the ways that we teach, learn, and work together.
Board members and the superintendent have discussed the namesakes of our schools previously and certainly in recent days. Leading with equity means thinking critically about our traditions and histories and recognizing where changes may be needed to live our core values of equity, character, excellence, team, and joy. We are committing to undertaking a full review of the names of all of our schools to ensure that our learning communities have names that are aligned with our values. We are working to identify community members to engage with the board of education and superintendent in this effort and look forward to sharing more information as our plans develop."
The crash occurred at a white supremacist rally.
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