CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The long, controversial saga of Silent Sam at the University of North Carolina may have ended.

  • The Sons of Confederate Veterans will take possession of Silent Sam
  • SCV cannot possess the Confederate statue in the 14 counties that house UNC System schools
  • The resolution allows funding for a potential facility to display the monument
  • RELATED: UNC Student Says She Found Silent Sam on UNC Property

On Wednesday, a judge ruled the Sons of Confederate Veterans will take possession of the Confederate statue from the university, and that SCV can only possess the monument outside any of the 14 counties containing a UNC System school, according to a UNC statement released on Wednesday. The ruling also allows for a potential facility to display the monument.

“This resolution allows the university to move forward and focus on its core mission of educating students,” UNC Board of Governors Chairman Randy Ramsey said in the statement.

The consent judgment involved a lawsuit between the North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., the University of North Carolina System and the Board of Governors, according to the statement.

Under the terms of the court’s judgment:

  • The Sons of Confederate Veterans owns all rights, title, and interest in the monument
  • The university will turn over possession of the monument to SCV
  • SCV will forever maintain possession of the monument outside any of the 14 counties currently containing a UNC System constituent institution
  • Using non-state funds, the university will fund a charitable trust to be held independently by a non-party trustee in the amount of $2.5 million, the proceeds of which may only be used for certain limited expenses related to the care and preservation of the monument, including potentially a facility to house and display the monument
  • This resolution complies with existing North Carolina law, including the monuments law as provided in Chapter 100 of the North Carolina General Statutes

“The safety and security concerns expressed by students, faculty, and staff are genuine, and we believe this consent judgment not only addresses those concerns but does what is best for the university and the university community in full compliance with North Carolina law,” said Jim Holmes, member of the UNC Board of Governors, in the news release.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans was happy with the resolution.

"We have been involved in ongoing negotiations and collaboration to achieve this outcome, and we believe it is a fair result," Sons of Confederate Veterans Commander R. Kevin Stone said in a statement.