Williamson County may remove an image of the Confederate flag from its official county seal, a Davidson County Chancellor ruled Tuesday.
The decision comes after a years-long legal battle over plans to remove the flag from the so-called Great Seal of Williamson County, an official marker of public business displayed on public buildings and county records.
In May 2022, the Tennessee Historical Commission ruled that the seal is not an official historic memorial, and county officials could alter or replace it as they wished.
Confederate group seeks to restrain Williamson County from removing flag from county seal
The Williamson County-based Major Nathaniel Cheairs Camp 2138 Sons of Confederate Veterans group, which seeks to promote Confederate-era history, filed a challenge citing the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act – a law that explicitly disfavors altering or removing monuments and markers of the “War Between the States.”
In her ruling, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal affirmed the historical commission’s decision that the seal is not a historic monument and is not subject to the protection act, clearing the way for the county to update its seal.
The seal — a circle divided into four quadrants, each containing a different tableau — was first adopted in 1968 at the height of the civil rights movement. The Confederate flag and canon are in the upper left quadrant, while other quadrants depict a bible in front of a church window, a school house and a pasture with animals.
In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police, the seal drew increased public criticism. A task force convened by the county first recommended removing the Confederate flag image.
Williamson County confederate seal court order
