A group of students and professors at the University of Virginia is demanding that school officials be forbidden to quote Thomas Jefferson despite the fact that Jefferson founded the school. Some 469 people signed an open letter to the university's president, saying they were "deeply offended" by references to the historical figure, The Washington Post reports. Since Jefferson owned slaves, they wrote, any reference to him in official communications "undermines the message of unity, equality, and civility that you are attempting to convey."
The demand came after the school president quoted Jefferson in an email to students and faculty about Donald Trump's victory, encouraging the campus to stay united.
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