Ben Carson could see his name removed from Detroit high school, reports say

close

Video

Report: Detroit high school may remove Ben Carson's name

Ben Carson could see his name removed from a Detroit high school, reports say.

The name of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson could be removed from a high school in his hometown of Detroit now that a state-appointed emergency manager no longer oversees the city’s Board of Education, according to reports.

The board voted 6-1 Tuesday to begin soliciting public opinion on whether the name of the Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine – as well as some other schools in the district – should be changed.

The Carson school was named for the former neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate before he became a member of President Trump’s Cabinet, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Board member LaMar Lemmons told the Detroit News that those now backing a name change “don’t support the (Trump) administration.”

Other schools that could see a name change include the Harms Elementary School, Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men and Detroit School of the Arts, the Free Press reported.

Some have expressed support for naming a school after Detroit native Aretha Franklin, the legendary singer who died Aug. 16.

Potential changes would come after the school board earlier this year approved a new process for changing school names, the newspaper reported.

But at least one board member questioned whether name-change process should proceed.

"I think there are probably other places where staff could be spending their time," Sonya Mays told the Free Press.