Sons of Confederate Veterans Coverage

Editorial: UNC's hard-earned reputation shattered by lingering racism, difficult to mend

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 -- "Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack'd, and never well mended," Ben Franklin reminds us in Poor Richard's 1760 Almanack. Seventy years of reputation repair shattered. This is nothing for anyone to take any satisfaction from. Acknowledge the damage now. Work to diversify the UNC Board of Governors and the individual campus boards of trustees, faculty and student bodies. Start the mending.

'Silent Sam' deal fell apart, but lawyers still got paid

The lawyers who represented the University of North Carolina system in crafting an ill-fated deal to give a controversial monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans got paid nearly a quarter-million dollars for their work.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

Lawsuit filed over DMV's decision to halt Confederate flag license plates

The North Carolina chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is suing the state over the decision to stop issuing or renewing license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag.

DMV: No more NC plates with Confederate flag

The state Division of Motor Vehicles says it won't issue or renew any more license plates depicting the Confederate flag.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

Confederate flag flies again off I-95 north of Fayetteville

A giant Confederate flag that had been removed from its 90-foot pole off of southbound Interstate 95 has been replaced with another one.

Myron B. Pitts, The Fayetteville Observer

Confederate flags along I-95 come down without explanation

Along I-40 in Hildebran, two large Confederate flags have been replaced with American and Christian flags.

Bryan Mims, WRAL reporter

Some question whether Governor Cooper had legal right to move Confederate monuments

Sons of Confederate Veterans said they are considering taking legal action against Gov. Roy Cooper for removing the Confederate monuments, as some locals question whether or not the governor had the legal right to move the monuments.

Sons of Confederate Veterans contemplate legal action against monuments' removal

Sons of Confederate Veterans spokesman Frank Powell says his group is contemplating legal action against the removal of the monuments, which he said represent his ancestors.

Cullen Browder, WRAL reporter

Sons of Confederate Veterans tells its story

Labeled by some as a group of white supremacists and racists, the Sons of Confederate veterans says it is neither.

Cullen Browder, WRAL anchor/reporter, & Randall Kerr, WRAL Investigates producer

Sons of Confederate Veterans defends itself against white supremacist accusations

Labeled by some as a group of white supremacists and racists, the Sons of Confederate veterans says it is neither.

Protesters gather at annual Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting

About 100 people marched in the cold Saturday in Brier Creek to protest an annual meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Police line Brier Creek parking lots to keep protesters back from Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting

About 100 people marched in the cold Saturday afternoon in Brier Creek to protest an annual meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Judge didn't address side deal when he threw out 'Silent Sam' settlement

Days after a judge voided a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, attorneys representing University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students and faculty are demanding that money given to the SCV in a separate deal be returned to the school.

UNC-CH students, faculty want money from 'Silent Sam' side deal returned

Days after a judge voided a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, attorneys representing University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students and faculty are demanding that money given to the SCV in a separate deal be returned to the school.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

Editorial: Silent Sam's resting place? Away from UNC with open, transparent process

Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 -- Silent Sam has no place on the UNC campus - that is the only consensus that has emerged from the Board of Governor's bumbled efforts. The Board needs to focus on its responsibilities and duties. Leave the disposition of Silent Sam to the folks on the Chapel Hill campus. Campus trustees should provide for an open and transparent process to determine Silent Sam's fate - with a location well away from the campus. And the General Assembly needs to repeal the ill-conceived 2015 statute that merely added confusion, not clarity, to the disposition of monuments and statues.

Many issues still need to be resolved in 'Silent Sam' case

Although a judge has voided a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, returning everything to where it was before the deal was struck is complicated and still leaves the statue's future in limbo.

Unraveling deal for 'Silent Sam' not that easy

Although a judge has voided a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, returning everything to where it was before the deal was struck is complicated and still leaves the statue's future in limbo.

Sarah Krueger, WRAL Durham reporter

Future of 'Silent Sam' unclear after deal with Confederate group voided

A judge on Wednesday threw out a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, saying the group had no legal right to negotiate the deal with the UNC system.

Judge throws out 'Silent Sam' deal

A judge on Wednesday threw out a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, saying the group had no legal right to negotiate the deal with the University of North Carolina system.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, & Sarah Krueger, WRAL Durham reporter

Judge reviews 'Silent Sam' deal

Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour holds a hearing to determine whether the Sons of Confederate Veterans had the legal right to enter into an agreement with the UNC system to take control of the "Silent Sam" monument.

Lawyer: Extra $75,000 in 'Silent Sam' deal like 'prenuptial agreement' with UNC

In the latest twist to the University of North Carolina system's $2.5 million deal with a neo-Confederate group to take the controversial "Silent Sam" monument off UNC-Chapel Hill's hands, it appears UNC provided the group with the money it needed to extract the settlement.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Seeking to nix $2.5M deal, UNC alumni say Confederate group never owned 'Silent Sam'

A group of UNC-Chapel Hill alumni trying to overturn a multimillion-dollar deal over the future of the "Silent Sam" monument​ argued in court filings this week that a Confederate group at the center of the case never had a claim to the statue.

Tyler Dukes, WRAL investigative reporter

Watchdog says Confederate group breaking tax, campaign finance laws

A long-time campaign finance watchdog filed a complaint against the state chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Wednesday, saying organization leaders may have concealed campaign donations to state politicians under other names.

Campaign finance complaint filed against Sons of Confederate Veterans

Long-time watchdog builds on The Daily Tar Heel's reporting, wants the State Board of Elections to investigate $28,500 in donations.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter, & Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Editorial: The $74,999 question. Can UNC's $2.5 million bad deal be stopped?

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 -- The rush by the UNC Board of Governors and the University of North Carolina and to do anything, at any cost, to get rid of the Silent Sam issue has done just the opposite. Due diligence has been neglected. Open meetings laws ignored. Superior Court Judge Allan Baddour, who signed the initial consent judgement and order with the Sons of Confederate Veterans is reexamining his approval. It is time for the courts and regulators to say enough-is-enough and negate this terrible deal.