The San Francisco Board of Education will paint over controversial George Washington mural

06/27/2019 UPDATE: On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Education unanimously voted to paint over a mural of George Washington located inside George Washington High School. The painting, which has caused controversy for years, depicts dead American Indians and African American slaves.

District staff will now develop a plan to paint over all 13 panels of the "Life of Washington" mural. The covering of Victor Arnautoff's work is expected to take more than a year to implement at an estimated cost of $600,000.

When concerns were raised at the school board meeting regarding the cost of such a project, commissioner Mark Sanchez said, "This is reparations," according to KQED.

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At a San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) meeting Tuesday night, members of the board discussed how to cover up a controversial mural of George Washington in a high school, which has drawn criticism for years, and laid out three options.

The mural, painted inside George Washington High School, depicts the life of the first president. It also shows black slaves picking cotton and white settlers stepping over a dead American Indian. The artwork, a Depression-era painting by Victor Arnautoff, has been seen at the main entrance of the high school for 84 years. However, recently, students and community groups have shared their distaste for the mural.

According to KTVU, during the school board meeting, Virginia Marshall, with the Alliance of Black School Educators, said, "It is a racist mural. My history should not be racist but it is. I came from slaves."

"It's not inside a museum. It's inside a school. Our students, all of them, deserve better," said Amy Anderson, a parent of a student at the high school.

However, the mural saw some support from those who believe it to be a significant part of history.

"The mural tells us about the conquest and colonization of the United States including the genocide of native Americans. The mural reminds us that this nation is born of blood and gore," said Raoul Gonzales.

"We need to know our history ... have it in our face," Peggy Toye said.

The school board will make their final decision regarding the fate of the mural.

Two options, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, will cover the mural. The first option, using a curtain, would cost an estimated $375,000. The second option would employ custom-made acoustic panels, which could cost $875,000. The third option would be to paint over the mural entirely, which would also require legal steps, adding to the final cost. It is estimated the third option would cost $600,000.

While school board President Stevon Cook supports removing the artwork, some members of the school's alumni association have threatened to sue to stop any effort to destroy the mural.

A representative for the San Francisco School Board did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle's requests for comment.

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