Controversial Confederate Monument Finds New Home In Storage Unit

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has approved a resolution to move a controversial Confederate monument into storage while court proceedings revolving around the 28-year-old monument continue.

The monument sits on the grounds of Gwinnett County’s Historic Courthouse in Lawrenceville and became the focus of media attention and protests after it was vandalized in June 2020. In response, Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Brian Whiteside filed a lawsuit against Gwinnett County seeking a court order declaring the monument a public nuisance and directing county officials to remove it. The monument was vandalized a second time on Thanksgiving Day.

"Offensive" is how Gwinnett County Commissioner Ben Ku described the monument. He noted that it should not sit on public land paid for by taxpayers.

"Because it was placed at the courthouse with the permission of the board of commissioners duly elected by the people, it makes sense at this time to rescind that permission by another board of commissioners also elected by the people," he said in a statement.

By passing the resolution, the monument will be kept secluded in a storage facility for "protection and preservation" until the court issues a ruling or the lawsuit is resolved. County Board of Commisioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said the present location of the monument may prompt additional acts of vandalism and "creates a public safety concern for both the city of Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County."

“While we’re respectful of the ongoing court proceedings, we feel that action is needed now to move the monument where it will not be a target for vandals,” Hendrickson said in a statement. “A monument celebrating the Confederacy on county property is inconsistent with the message of welcome and inclusion that the county is sending to the world. We should place it in storage to avoid further provocation and to help the cause of tranquility for the benefit of all.”

Commissioner Kirkland Carden declared that “It is time to remove this monument of hate that has been a stain on Gwinnett County since it was erected in 1993."

"Gwinnett has always strived to be a welcoming and inclusive world-class community. Removing this monument is a step in the right direction," he said.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in March 1992 accepted and approved the placement of the Confederate monument on the grounds of the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse in downtown Lawrenceville at the request of the Gwinnett Historical Society. The Gwinnett County Confederate Monument Committee raised funds to erect the structure, which was installed in 1993.