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MU will not remove Thomas Jefferson statue

The University of Missouri has decided not to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson on the Mizzou campus.

The decision announced Friday came after school officials met with organizers behind an online petition to remove the statue that garnered more than 3,000 signatures.

“We learn from history. We contextualize historical figures with complex legacies. We don’t remove history,” University System President and interim MU Chancellor Mun Choi said.

Earlier story:

(AP) — Students from the University of Missouri who want a statue of Thomas Jefferson removed from the Columbia campus have met with campus leaders to discuss the issue.

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi met in private Thursday with the organizers of the petition. University spokesman Christian Basi said the meeting was “very constructive” but said more details would be released later.

An online petition seeking the statue’s removal garnered more than 3,250 signatures by Thursday afternoon. One of the petition’s organizer’s, Roman Leaphart, said he objected to the statue because Jefferson owned slaves and fathered children with one of his slaves.

(This story was last updated at 11:25 a.m. Friday.)

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