Virginia governor can remove Robert E. Lee statue, judge rules

(Image credit: Eze Amos/Getty Images)

published 28 October 2020

A Virginia judge ruled late Tuesday that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has the authority to remove a 60-foot-high statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue in Richmond, the state capital. The Lee statue is the only one left standing, after the other monuments were either removed, modified, or torn down. A group of Richmond residents had sued to stop Northam from removing the Lee statue in June, arguing that would "degrade" their neighborhood and lower their property values, NPR News reports. The plaintiffs are expected to appeal.

"We are one step closer to a more equitable and honest Virginia," Northam tweeted after the ruling was handed down. The statue of Lee, the top Confederate general in the Civil War, was erected in 1890; Richmond is the former capital of the Confederacy.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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