Faculty and students will vote beginning March 29 continuing through March 31, to determine if the gym for the school will get its name changed, due to the past of the school’s first principal, Lee Stewart.

“We will lose more than a name if this proposal passes. Our students do not think of Lee Stewart when they talk about the gym,” Lindy Hall, girls’ Varsity basketball coach said. “Instead, they think about the history that happened there.” Hall said the gym represents more than 100 years of memories. Many of the students and faculty have graduated from or have family that graduated from Leaguetown High. One student’s relatives have graduated from the school for the past two generations.

“All my life I’ve heard stories about how they played basketball in the legendary Stewart Gym,” freshman, Ray Roma said. “ I’ve waited my whole life to play in the gym, and now Principal Falcon wants to change the name.” Roma said that Principal Stewart sounded like a decent principal. However, the history teacher responsible for the discovery of Principal Stewart’s past doesn’t agree.

“I am not exactly pleased to have discovered this information and reported it in my thesis, but I cannot rewrite history to my liking,” Vincent Montoya, history teacher, said. “We should not honor someone in our community who rode with the Ku Klux Klan.” Montoya said he had wonderful memories in Stewart Gym not only as a student, but as a teacher as well. he said he doesn’t want to change the name, but that we need to. Montoya’s thesis states many facts about Stewart’s past, and after reading his thesis, Principal Barbara Falcon sent a proposal to rename the gym, to the school board informing them of Montoya’s thesis.

“Several of the board members support Principal Falcon’s proposal, but we didn’t think the board should make this decision,” school board president, Gregory King said. “The students and faculty should be the voice on this issue.” King said that no matter the outcome the board will support the decision. Principal Falcon agreed with the board’s decision sending the issue to the students and faculty. She said that school’s should recognize their past leaders as positive role models, not someone who believed that all children and all people are not equal.

“I suggested this proposal after reading his thesis,” Principal Falcon said. “I don’t want to rewrite history, but our school atmosphere should be inclusive and welcoming to all students.” Falcon said that Principal Stewart may have been a good principal, but at the time, the school was only for whites.

To determine whether or not to overturn the principal’s decision on Jim Stack’s hair to donate for charity to make wigs for sick children, the school board will vote on Monday at 7 P.M.

“Had I approved Jim’s request, then I would have students everyday asking if the could also break the dress code,” principal Tonya King said. “We have rules for a reason, and we can’t just go breaking them anytime we want.”

King denied Stack’s request because of the school dress code, which states that boys must have short hair. King said Stack can contribute to Locks of Love, an organization that donates wigs to sick children, by donating money and organizing a fundraiser.

However Stack said, “Anyone can donate money, but it takes time and dedication to grow your hair and donate it.”

Gisel Roco, president of Locks of Love, agrees with Stack and feels more families should do the same because of the little donations they receive monthly.

“I was moved by Jim’s passion to donate his hair,” Roco said. “We desperately need human hair for our wigs.”

Roco said he has to turn down 75% of the request they receive, though he wishes they didn’t have to. Stack said he wants to do everything he can to help out the organization and convince the school board to allow him to grow his hair out.

Stack said, “I hope the school board understands,” he said. “I won’t be hurting anyone when my hair gets longer.”

Stack said he wishes that the school board would make an exception because his request is for good reasons, according to Gilbert Castillo , student council president.

Castillo said, “Rules are made to be broken, and this is a very good reason to break one.”

Although the school board does not wish to comment on the issue, Castillo and the student council sent them a letter showing support for stack, who only wants the best for his sister.

“When we received my sister’s wig, she was so happy,” Stack said. “I had not seen a smile on her face for a long time.”

trim.25266D3D-540C-4152-9DC3-4A572130A121