Shenandoah County School Board Reverses Decision, Restores Names of Confederate Leaders to Local Schools

Quicksburg, Virginia, Shenandoah County, Virginia United States of America
Debate over role of Confederate symbols in public institutions and monuments across US: some see them as important part of American history, others as reminders of dark past marked by slavery and racial oppression.
Decision sparks heated reactions from both sides: some see it as a victory for preserving history, others decry it as a step backwards in the fight against racial inequality.
Mountain View High School originally named after Stonewall Jackson in 1959 during Jim Crow era. Ashby Lee Elementary School was previously named Honey Run Elementary School and is also named after Confederate figure Turner Ashby.
Shenandoah County School Board reverses decision and restores names of Confederate leaders Stonewall Jackson and Turner Ashby to local schools: Mountain View High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School respectively.
Stonewall Jackson gained fame as a Confederate general during the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, was killed in battle in 1863 with an amputated arm. Turner Ashby was a Confederate cavalry officer who was killed near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Shenandoah County School Board Reverses Decision, Restores Names of Confederate Leaders to Local Schools

In a controversial decision, the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia has voted to restore the names of Confederate military leaders Stonewall Jackson and Turner Ashby to two local schools: Mountain View High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School respectively. The move reverses a decision made four years ago when the schools' names were changed amid protests following the murder of George Floyd by police.

The board's vote came after a lengthy meeting during which both sides of the debate were heard. Supporters argued that the Confederate figures' names were taken off in a 'knee-jerck' reaction and that they represented an important part of local history. Others countered that the names symbolized inclusion and progress, particularly for students from marginalized communities.

Stonewall Jackson, a native Virginian, gained fame as a Confederate general during the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. He was killed in battle in 1863 with an amputated arm. Turner Ashby was a Confederate cavalry officer who was killed near Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The decision to restore the names has sparked heated reactions from both sides, with some hailing it as a victory for preserving history and others decrying it as a step backwards in the fight against racial inequality.

Mountain View High School was originally named after Stonewall Jackson in 1959 during the Jim Crow era when racial segregation was legal. Ashby Lee Elementary School, which was renamed from its original name Honey Run Elementary School, is also named after a Confederate figure: Turner Ashby.

The school board's decision comes amid a larger debate over the role of Confederate symbols in public institutions and monuments across the US. Some argue that these symbols represent an important part of American history, while others see them as reminders of a dark past marked by slavery and racial oppression.

Shenandoah County is a largely rural jurisdiction with a population of about 45,000, located roughly 100 miles west of the nation's capital.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential inaccuracies or missing information in the article?
  • Were all perspectives fairly represented during the school board meeting?

Sources

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Schools in One Virginia County to Reinstate Confederate Names

The New York Times Campbell Robertson Friday, 10 May 2024 14:01
  • Unique Points
    • The Shenandoah County school board voted to reverse a decision made four years ago and restored the names of three Confederate officers to schools in the district.
    • Stonewall Jackson High School in Quicksburg, Va., will once again be known as Stonewall Jackson High School.
    • This appears to be the first instance of a school district in the US returning Confederate names to schools that had removed them after 2020.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The author uses emotional manipulation by quoting Tom Streett's biased and subjective opinion about Stonewall Jackson without providing any counter-opinions or facts to support the claim that Jackson's 'standards were much higher than any leadership of the school system in 2020.' This is selective reporting as it only presents information that supports the author's position. The article also implies a fact by stating 'people crowded into school board meetings, denouncing the name changes as secretive and rushed through with little advance notice,' but does not provide any evidence or sources to support this claim.
    • When you read about this man – who he was, what he stood for, his character, his loyalty, his leadership, how Godly a man he was – those standards that he had were much higher than any leadership of the school system in 2020.
    • people crowded into school board meetings, denouncing the name changes as secretive and rushed through with little advance notice,
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting Tom Streett, a board member, stating that Stonewall Jackson's 'character, his loyalty, his leadership' were 'higher than any leadership of the school system in 2020.' This statement is not a logical argument and does not prove that the decision to rename the schools was incorrect.
    • “When you read about this man — who he was, what he stood for, his character, his loyalty, his leadership, how Godly a man he was — those standards that he had were much higher than any leadership of the school system in 2020,”
  • Bias (95%)
    The author expresses a positive view of the Confederate officer Stonewall Jackson and implies that those who opposed the name change in 2020 were wrongly accused of being secretive and having little notice. This can be seen as an expression of ideological bias in favor of preserving Confederate symbols.
    • But a fury had been unleashed in the rural county in the mountains of Virginia. People crowded into school board meetings, denouncing the name changes as secretive and rushed through with little advance notice, and voicing deeper resentments about cultural shifts they saw as being foisted upon them.
      • When you read about this man – who he was, what he stood for, his character, his loyalty, his leadership, how Godly a man he was – those standards that he had were much higher than any leadership of the school system in 2020.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      77%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      A Virginia county board votes to restore Confederates' names to schools

      National Public Radio (NPR) Bill Chappell Friday, 10 May 2024 00:00
      • Unique Points
        • The Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia has voted to restore the names of Confederate generals Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby to two local schools: Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School.
        • Supporters argue that the Confederate figures’ names were taken off the schools in 2020 in a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction amid protests of George Floyd’s murder by police.
        • Some students spoke in favor of keeping the current names, arguing they represent inclusion and progress. Others spoke in favor of restoring the Confederate names, invoking a long history of their families’ ties to the land and culture.
      • Accuracy
        • This appears to be the first instance of a school district in the US returning Confederate names to schools that had removed them after 2020.
        • Opponents warn that restoring the Confederate names will brand the schools and their county as a haven for backward, racist thinking.
      • Deception (30%)
        The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of restoring Confederate names to schools. The author does not provide any counterarguments or mention the potential harm caused by honoring Confederate figures who fought for slavery. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through quotes from students and residents on both sides of the issue.
        • But opponents including some current students warned the board that the Confederate names would brand the schools and their county as a haven for backward, racist thinking.
        • Here's what students said A handful of students attended the meeting, including several who said the current names represent inclusion and progress and should be kept.
        • The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-1 to once again honor the Confederate general, whose name was originally attached to the school during the battle over racial segregation.
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the name change as a 'knee-jerk reaction' and the restoration of Confederate names as a 'moral and ethical obligation'. The author also makes an appeal to authority by quoting board members stating that critics have ignored school buildings with names of historic figures who owned enslaved people.
        • The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-1 to once again honor the Confederate general, whose name was originally attached to the school during the battle over racial segregation.
        • So I think all of this was politically driven.
        • I had 144 of you ask to restore the names.
      • Bias (80%)
        The author uses language that depicts opponents of the name change as 'backward' and 'racist thinking', which demonstrates a bias against those holding opposing views.
        • But opponents including some current students warned the board that the Confederate names would brand the schools and their county as a haven for backward, racist thinking.
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        79%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        US: Virginia school board restores Confederate names

        Deutsche Welle News Site Review by AI - Bias, Contradictions, Deceptiveness Analysis (English Edition) Deutsche Welle Friday, 10 May 2024 22:09
        • Unique Points
          • Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia restored the names of Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School.
          • The decision overturned a 2020 name change prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement.
          • Stonewall Jackson High School was dedicated in 1959 as a ‘whites only’ school during the Jim Crow era when racial segregation was legal.
        • Accuracy
          • Opponents accuse proponents of seeking to sanitize racism in US history and propagating Confederate myths.
        • Deception (30%)
          The article contains selective reporting by only mentioning the restoration of Confederate names without acknowledging the historical context of racism and institutionalized discrimination that led to their removal in the first place. The author also uses emotional manipulation by implying that those opposed to the restoration are 'bringing racism and prejudice into everything' and 'seeking to sanitize the fact that the Civil War was fought to uphold the rights of whites to own Black people as property.'
          • Many Confederate names originally put in place to affirm racial repression.
          • Many Confederate monuments and dedications across the South were not erected until the late 19th and early-to-mid-twentieth century, during a time of institutionalized racial discrimination and segregation known as the Jim Crow era – which did not legally end until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 99 years after the end of the Civil War.
          • One board member in favor of the restoration, Gloria Carlineo, accused opponents of, ‘bringing racism and prejudice into everything.’
          • The names refer to three of the most famous military leaders of the pro-slavery Confederate South during the US Civil War: Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, an infantry general; Turner Ashby, a calvary commander; and Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of North Virginia and ultimately of the Confederate States Army.
          • Those opposed to the measure accused proponents of seeking to restore a white supremacist ideology by propagating the ‘Lost Cause’ myth of the Confederacy and sanitizing the fact that the Civil War was fought to uphold the rights of whites to own Black people as property.
        • Fallacies (75%)
          The author makes an appeal to tradition and historical context in arguing for the restoration of Confederate names, implying that these figures were important heroes rather than military leaders who fought to uphold slavery. This is a form of halo effect fallacy, where the positive qualities associated with someone's actions are exaggerated or distorted. The author also quotes individuals making inflammatory statements about bringing racism into everything and protecting their heritage, which can be seen as an appeal to emotion and a form of ad hominem fallacy.
          • The names refer to three of the most famous military leaders of the pro-slavery Confederate South during the US Civil War: Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, an infantry general; Turner Ashby, a calvary commander; and Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of North Virginia and ultimately of the Confederate States Army.
          • Those opposed to the measure accused proponents of seeking to restore a white supremacist ideology by propagating the ‘Lost Cause’ myth of the Confederacy and sanitizing the fact that the Civil War was fought to uphold the rights of whites to own Black people as property.
          • Many Confederate monuments and dedications across the South were not erected until the late 19th and early-to-mid-twentieth century, during a time of institutionalized racial discrimination and segregation known as the Jim Crow era – which did not legally end until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 99 years after the end of the Civil War.
          • I ask that when you cast your vote, you remember that Stonewall Jackson and others fighting on the side of the Confederacy in this area were intent on protecting and preserving the land, the buildings and the lives of those under attack.
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        81%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Confederate names restored at two Virginia schools after education board vote

        The Boston Globe Friday, 10 May 2024 00:00
        • Unique Points
          • Virginia school board voted to restore names of Confederate military leaders to Mountain View High School and Ashby Lee Elementary
          • Stonewall Jackson: Confederate general from Virginia, gained fame at First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, died in battle in 1863 with amputated arm
          • Turner Ashby: Confederate cavalry officer killed in battle near Harrisonburg, Virginia
        • Accuracy
          • Previous board ignored popular sentiment and due process when names were stripped
          • Opponents warned that restoring the Confederate names will brand the schools and their county as a haven for backward, racist thinking
          • Proponents argue for cultural significance and historical context of the institutions.
          • Stonewall Jackson High School was dedicated in 1959 as a 'whites only' school during the Jim Crow era when racial segregation was legal.
        • Deception (30%)
          The article engages in selective reporting by only mentioning the names of Confederate leaders being restored without providing any context or counterarguments against this decision. The author also quotes board member Gloria Carlineo making a statement that could be perceived as emotionally manipulative when she tells opponents to 'stop bringing racism and prejudice into everything' and 'it detracts from true cases of racism.'
          • Gloria Carlineo said during a six-hour meeting that began Thursday night that opponents of the Confederate names should 'stop bringing racism and prejudice into everything'' because it 'detracts from true cases of racism.'
          • The school board voted 5-1 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School, and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary.
        • Fallacies (85%)
          The author makes an appeal to popularity and due process fallacy by stating that the previous school board ignored popular sentiment and due process when the Confederate names were stripped. Board member Gloria Carlineo also makes a false dichotomy fallacy by stating that opponents of the Confederate names should 'stop bringing racism and prejudice into everything' because it 'detracts from true cases of racism.'
          • The school board voted 5-1 to rerestore the names of Confederate military leaders to a high school and an elementary school, four years after the names had been removed. Board member Gloria Carlineo said during a six-hour meeting that began Thursday night that opponents of the Confederate names should ‘stop bringing racism and prejudice into everything’ because it ‘detracts from true cases of racism.’
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication