18 August, 2017
Duke University officials discovered a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at Duke Chapel was defaced Thursday morning.
The statue of Lee is one of 10 statues that adorn the Duke chapel, which are drawn from figures in Protestant and Methodist traditions, as well as the American South.
Four people surrendered on Thursday in Durham and will face rioting and other charges stemming from the toppling of a statue of a Confederate soldier by protesters, the Durham County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
'Each of us deserves a voice in determining how to address the questions raised by the statues of Robert E. Lee and others, and confront the darker moments in our nation's history, ' Price said.
Officials are reviewing security footage from the chapel as part of the investigation.
Luke Powery, dean of the Chapel, wrote in an email Thursday that he stands in opposition to white supremacy, but that there needs to be a larger conversation about how to move forward with Lee's statue, agreeing with Price.
"Objections were made that the statue did not resemble Lee".
Price said that for vandals to "to take matters into their own hands and vandalize a house of worship" undermined the rights of university students and employees "to participate fully in university life".
He said he began consulting with students, faculty and alumni on the issue earlier in the week. "Together-and only together-we will determine an appropriate course of action informed by our collective values".
A fresh debate over Confederate symbols has roiled the USA since Saturday's violence during a protest by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, against the removal of a Lee statue in which one woman died.
