A federal appeals court will consider a dispute over the movement of a Confederate soldier from a prominent town square park in Lakeland to a veterans memorial park.
The Atlanta-based court agreed to hear an appeal by Save Southern Heritage, which describes itself as a history and heritage group.
An attorney for the group says oral arguments are set the week of April 20 before the court.
Lakeland officials decided to move the 109-year-old statue from the city’s Munn Park to the veterans memorial in March of last year, sparking the lawsuit.
Lakeland city commissioners voted in December 2017 to start the process to move the statue after receiving complaints from residents. In November, commissioners approved funding the $150,000 cost of moving the statue with citations issued as part of the city’s red-light camera program.
The statue is being relocated to a different park where the city honors soldiers and first responders. Veterans Park is adjacent to a city-owned convention and entertainment complex.
The director of the city’s parks and recreation department, Bob Donahay, says dismantling the monument and relocating it will take several days.