Ellis County judge is suspect in vandalism of segregation-era 'negroes' sign in courthouse
WAXAHACHIE -- Controversy that recently erupted over a segregation-era historical sign in the basement of the Ellis County courthouse has taken an unusual twist following an act of vandalism.
Ellis County Judge Todd Little is a suspect along with another man in the defacement of the sign, which says “negroes,” according to court records. The criminal investigation has been turned over to Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot after Ellis County prosecutors requested an order recusing themselves, records show.
No one has been charged and it remains under investigation. Little could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Someone last month spray-painted over the sign, which hung over the spot where a water fountain once stood and was preserved as a reminder of the mistakes of the past. The sign became the center of a controversy involving Constable Curtis Polk Jr., the only Black person serving in an elected county-level position, after Polk objected around mid-November to having his office moved to the courthouse basement and having to see the sign every day.
After Polk’s story spurred a rash of negative publicity, Little offered the constable a private office in the courthouse in Waxahachie to resolve the issue. Then a YouTube video surfaced that apparently shows Little urging another man, Ernest Henry Walker, to spray-paint over the sign, according to Ellis County court records.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2020/12/31/ellis-county-judge-is-suspect-in-vandalism-of-segregation-era-negroes-sign-in-courthouse/