FRANKLIN (AP) — A 90-year-old monument honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee located along an Ohio highway will be removed.
Plans to remove a statue of Lee in Charlottesville, Va., sparked violence between white supremacists and counter-protesters (pictured above), which left a 32-year-old woman dead.
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Officials in the city of Franklin announced Wednesday evening that the monument is located within the right of way of Dixie Highway. They say rights of way need to remain clear to “avoid the creation of a public safety hazard.”
A plaque affixed to a rock foundation indicates the monument was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1927.
City officials say they were only made aware that the monument, which belongs to Franklin Township, is located within the city of Franklin after the township announced earlier Wednesday that it would stay put.
City officials say the monument will be removed and returned to the neighboring township.