Baton Rouge school board member 'deeply sorry' after comments defending General Robert E. Lee
East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard is apologizing for recently saying those offended by the name of Lee High School in Baton Rouge should "learn a little bit more about" Confederate General Robert E. Lee, for whom the school is named.
“My comments last week about the naming of Lee High School were insensitive, have caused pain for others, and have led people to believe I am an enemy of people of color, and I am deeply sorry,” Bernard said in a written statement issued Friday afternoon. “I condemn racial injustice in any form. I promise to be part of the solution and to listen to the concerns of all members of our community. I stand with you, in love and respect.”
On Thursday, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted unanimously, after a lengthy debate, to form a special committee to come up with alternative names for the 61-year-old high school. It was a striking reversal for the School Board, which in 2016, voted to keep the school named Lee High, but excised the "Robert E" part of the name. Bernard is one of the five board members who voted then to keep Lee in the name, which she said she did because of the strong feelings of many school alumni and constituents.
Before the meeting, in a June 10th interview with WVLA-33, Bernard said that parents and students uncomfortable with a school named Lee High don’t know their history.
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_50df7e4c-b27f-11ea-b969-5b0376f4116f.html
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