The New Haven School Board decided to uphold a vote to change the name of the Christopher Columbus Family Academy after concerns the vote was done improperly last month.
The board previously decided Christopher Columbus Family Academy in the Fair Haven neighborhood and replace Columbus Day on the school calendar with Indigenous Peoples Day. But the issue was readdressed at a meeting Monday when some board members voiced concerns that the decision had been made without proper process.
One board member, who has been pushing for the change, become emotional at the meeting, saying he'd like to "finish his life knowing that the majority of people in this country believe everyone was important.
"I'm sorry, but it's been a long life," Edward Joyner said, sobbing as he addressed the group.
There's also been a push in communities across the state to remove Christopher Columbus statues due to the man's history of violence toward indigenous people.
There is no timetable for a new name for the academy.
