Ripley Rand, outside counsel representing the UNC System and the UNC Board of Governors, issued the following statement on the monument lawsuit:  

 “While this was not the result we had hoped for, we respect the Court’s ruling in this case. Judge Baddour gave us a fair hearing, and he afforded all parties the necessary time and consideration to be heard. The Board of Governors knew from the very beginning that this was a difficult but needed solution to meet all their goals to protect public safety of the University community, restore normality to campus, and be compliant with the Monuments Law. The Board of Governors will move forward with these three goals at the forefront and will go back to work to find a lasting and lawful solution to the dispute over the monument. We appreciate Judge Baddour’s consideration in this case and we respect his decision in this matter.”