A group of Washington and Lee University law students has called on the school to offer future graduates the choice of a diploma that does not feature the image of the two historical figures that gave the school its name, according to The Washington Post.

The petition, supported by a majority of students, argues the two men do not reflect the university’s values in 2019, citing their ownership of slaves and Robert E. Lee’s role as a Confederate general in the Civil War, particularly after the deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that organizers spun as a defense of a statue of Lee.

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George Washington was an early financial backer of the university, while Lee served as its president and is buried on campus.

“The goal of establishing this option is to create a diploma that alumni are proud to prominently display in their homes and places of work,” the petition states.

“Given the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville and the heightened awareness of making Washington & Lee an inclusive and compassionate environment to all students, we believe this request provides alumni the ability to honor their alma mater without the presence of the portraits that some may find controversial or offensive,” it adds.

The request has divided the school’s alumni, with some vociferously defending the continued use of the two men’s images. Tom Rideout, who graduated in 1963, questioned why the students supporting the petition attend the school “if they don’t like these two people.”

Campus chapters of numerous organizations have backed the petition, including the Black Law Student Society, the Women Law Students Organization, the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society.

Law student Adenike Miles-Sorinmade, one of the organizers, said she was surprised by the backlash, saying the petition was intended to expand options rather than curtail them.

“We are literally just asking for an option, exercising our individual freedom — and being shot down for that,” she told the Post.