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Reactions to Confederate flag removal in Va. mixed

By WTOP Staff

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — A plan to remove Confederate battle flags from a chapel on Washington and Lee University’s campus is drawing mixed reactions from members of the community.

University president Kenneth Ruscio told faculty and students on Tuesday that the Lexington school is removing the flags from a campus chapel and will continue to study its historical involvement with slavery.

Students who raised their concerns with the private liberal arts college this spring over several issues are calling the move a good first step to making the campus more inclusive.

But defenders of the Confederacy say removing the flags from the chapel is a desecration to the site where Gen. Robert E. Lee’s entire family is buried.

Others are withdrawing plans to donate Civil War books and Lee family memorabilia to the school.

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Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

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