Vandals pry letters from Robert E. Lee High School sign

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Seven metal letters were removed from Robert E. Lee High School's name on the sign in front of the school and the word "racists" sprayed in red paint on plexiglass on one side of the sign, according to Duval County police.

Police believe the vandalism at the school on McDuff Avenue occurred Saturday night. A woman walking her dog reported seeing two boys around the sign about 10:30 p.m., but could only provide a vague description that both were wearing long pants and a baggy sweatshirt.

She told police that one of the boys appeared to be watching while the second was doing something to the sign.

Police said none of the school's surveillance cameras are pointed at the brick sign in front of the school. A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office crime analyst was assigned to check social media signs to see if there were any posts about damage to the sign that could lead investigators to the vandals.

After the letters L and two Es were taken from the one side of the sign and R, O, B and E from the other side, school officials removed the entire name from the sign in front of Robert E. Lee High School.

This comes as the community and nation are discussing removing statues of Confederate generals and there are calls to rename schools and other public facilities that carry the names of Confederate figures.

Students and their parents at Lee who spoke with News4Jax Thursday had different opinions on the school's name.

"I don’t really think there’s a reason to go after Robert E. Lee personally. It’s a part of history, and the Civil War was our history," said Jesse Edmonds, a Lee alumni who has a child in the school.

"I think (the name should be changed," Lee freshman Jay Latapley said.

"To me, it doesn’t really matter," Lee junior Sam Ortega said. "The name doesn’t represent the school. We go to a school ... and the name doesn’t represent the way the people are."