Caddo Confederate statue’s owners disappointed with parish leaders

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — The Shreveport chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy is disappointed with the notice they received ordering them to remove the Confederate monument from outside the Caddo Courthouse by November, the group’s attorney says.

A letter issued Wednesday by the Caddo Parish attorney’s office notifies Chapter 237 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy that it has 90 days to move the monument.

In the statement, attorney Dave Knadler wrote:

“My client is disappointed with the notice (dated August 28) sent from the attorney for the Caddo Parish Commission especially because my client has a quit claim deed to the land underneath the Caddo Parish Confederate Monument. In addition, my client is disappointed that the Caddo Parish Commission has not waited for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on whether or not to grant my client’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari.”

The parish attorney’s missive does not say what would happen to the monument if it is left on the property after the 90-day period.

It was believed at one point that the monument was on ground owned by the UDAC.

However, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Caddo Parish owns the property on which the monument sits.

The Shreveport chapter of the UDAC and Caddo Parish have been in court regarding the monument since October 2017.

District 3 Caddo Commissioner Steven Jackson sent his response to the parish’s letter to KSLA News 12 :

“Many thought this time would never come. Some thought we wouldn’t succeed in court. However, after a lengthy legal process that ended with no appeal to the United Supreme Court, we are simply looking to moving forward. Our Parish legal team has done a great job representing the Parish at no additional cost to taxpayers. It’s time for us to move forward.”

District 2 Caddo Commissioner Lyndon Johnson described this latest development as another step forward in the process.

“That’s a major hurdle that we went over. The first hurdle was actually getting enough votes to get it to that point. And now, being that all the judges ruled in our favor and all the appeals process is over with, that’s another major hurdle.”

Johnson explained why this is no typical legal process because of the strong feelings involved in this case.

“A feeling of, that you will get justice and not look at the past of the Confederacy, the South in the past, the ’70s, the ’60s, you know. So we just want to make it sure that when people go there, they feel that, you know, it’s a building for true justice.”

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