Where's THEIR Rights? Students Oppose Obama Judge's Ruling on Stonewall Jackson High Name
Shenandoah County student speaks out on judge’s ruling of Confederate school name
Shenandoah County student speaks out on judge’s ruling of Confederate school name
After a federal judge’s ruling Tuesday that Confederate school names violate students’ constitutional rights, some students at Stonewall Jackson High School are looking to make their voices heard.
Marcus Ortiz, a senior at Stonewall Jackson High School, said students have been discussing the topic in classes and that he believes the name should not be changed.
“I know many students aren’t offended by the name. I sat in my third block today, and we had a whole conversation about this in U.S. history, about the name change ... Almost the entire class was against changing the name back to Mountain View,” Ortiz said. “I saw a lot of students that weren’t happy about how the judge is perceiving it and how the rest of the people in the community are perceiving us as a school, and I think they’re perceiving us as racist, and that’s just not how our school is.”
On top of some students not having an issue with the Stonewall Jackson name, Ortiz also said the cost of changing the name takes away from money spent on other school needs.
“I don’t believe that we should be spending our money on the school name just because people don’t agree with it,” Ortiz said. “I think we should stand proud of our name, and…