OXFORD, MS (WMC) - It was a quick and decisive vote. With no discussion on the proposal, Ole Miss Faculty Senate voted 41-1 in favor of removing the state's flag from campus. The flag contains the confederate battle flag.
Only one faculty member voted no. He did not want to talk about his vote.
However, Robert Magee in the school of journalism said he is not surprised by the vote.
"It's really been decided by most faculty. I'm surprised it wasn't unanimous, but I think it's hardly ever a case when you get faculty unanimous on something," Magee said.
Other faculty members who are not on the senate are pleased with the vote.
"It was almost a unanimous vote which speaks to how important and how unified the faculty senate is on this," Bob Brown, political science professor, said.
Tuesday, the student senate voted to remove the flag from campus. It was a resolution that student Allen Coon sponsored.
"I'm just really glad the faculty senate is standing behind us. It's nice to know as a community we can move forward. We can push our university to take steps toward progress and make our academic environment a much safer place," Coon said.
Outside the building, a few protesters carried flags and held signs. One of them was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. One of the signs said 'black lives don't matter'.
"At the end of the day, we voted to say the state flag is coming down. So, really, that's just how they feel," student Kweisi Fountain said.
The student and faculty votes are just recommendations. The Ole Miss chancellor and administration have the final word on if the Mississippi state flag comes down.
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