An earlier ruling by the federal judge found that forcing High School Students to be carriers of a Confederate school name in Shenandoah County violated First Amendment.
Harrisonburg, Virginia =- Attorneys for the NAACP Virginia State Conference and five families in Shenandoah County will argue that the reinstatement of Confederate school names by the Shenandoah County School Board violated the civil rights of students at Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School at a trial by judge, scheduled for December 11 – 19, 2025.
Where:
US Western District of Virginia
116 North Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Room 314
When:
December 11 – 19, 2025
9:30 am EST – 5:00 pm EST
Opening statements are scheduled for the morning of December 11, 2025.
Background
On June 11, 2024, the NAACP Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP) and five Shenandoah County students filed a federal lawsuit alleging the Shenandoah County School Board is creating an unlawful and discriminatory educational environment for students. The complaint outlines how the reinstatement of Confederate school names violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution of the United States, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee and Covington & Burling LLP represent the Virginia NAACP and student families.
On September 9, 2025, Judge Michael Urbanski ruled that the school board violated the First Amendment rights of students at Stonewall Jackson High School by forcing students to promote the name Stonewall Jackson and the Confederate message that it represents.