Written by WRGB Staff for CBS 6 on June 12, 2020

SCHUYLERVILLE, NY (WRGB) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik released a statement, strongly opposing Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan’s executive order to remove the statue of Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler.

The statue’s current home is in front of Albany City Hall.

In her statement, Stefanik states that as a middle school student, she learned about the Schuyler family, their military service and their ownership of slaves.

“This was an important lesson at a young age that our American history is simultaneously exceptional and complex.”

Stefanik calls the mayor’s decision “short sighted”, continuing to call her order “an example of the reactionary actions we are seeing in other areas of the country in place of meaningful policy reforms.”

Mayor Sheehan has directed the statue to be removed from outside of City Hall, and given to a museum or other local institution, where it can be displayed with “the appropriate historical context.”

“Scores of community members have reached out to my office requesting the removal of the statue of former slave owner Gen. Philip Schuyler and I thank those residents for making their voices heard,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.

“If Mayor Kathy Sheehan removes the statue of Philip Schuyler, our local bipartisan community leaders in Schuylerville will welcome the statue here as an opportunity to commemorate his role in our nation’s founding with appropriate historical context,” said Stefanik.

You can read the full article at https://cbs6albany.com/