Idaho Lynching Murals in Old County Courthouse Spark Debate

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two murals depicting the lynching of an American Indian in a former Idaho county courthouse are once again at the center of a disagreement over whether they should be displayed or covered up as offensive.

Historic preservationists and members of Idaho's tribes oppose covering the 75-year-old murals, arguing that the public can learn from history's mistakes. However, the University of Idaho — which is leasing the building as a satellite campus of its law school — contends the murals create a negative learning space.

State officials held a public hearing Wednesday to gather public input. The murals show an Indian on his knees with his hands bound behind his back flanked by one white man holding a rifle and another holding the end of a noose dangling from a tree.