FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – A big decision was being discussed Monday in Fort Bend County, where district leaders met to talk about the allocation of money to move the remains of former African-American prisoners now known as the Sugar Land 95 found buried on a Fort Bend Independent School District construction site more than a year ago.
The Fort Bend ISD board was talking about allocating more than $50,000 to move the remains of the Sugar Land 95.
The discussion didn't sit well with everybody and the board meeting was at times heated.
The discussion centered around moving the remains of the prisoners, who were found buried at the site of the new James Reese Career and Technical Center.
The remains were found by construction workers and are believed to have been there for more than 100 years.
The Texas Historical Commission said the remains were ex-prisoners who were forced to work on a plantation after slavery had been abolished. Some bodies were as old as 70 and as young as 14.
Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing the county to own and operate the cemetery.
Since then, the district and county have been working to figure out how to move the remains.
Fort Bend ISD knows it's a delicate issue, but plans to memorialize the Sugar Land 95.
School officials said not only will they honor the Sugar Land 95, but they will also include them in their history curriculum.