University of Missouri will not remove Jefferson statue

(AP) Mizzou will not remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from the Columbia campus. University of Missouri System President Mun Choi and other university officials met Thursday with students who organized an online petition asking that the statue be removed because Jefferson was a slave owner and fathered children with one of his slaves. Choi said in a statement Friday that people learn from history and try to put complex historical figures into context, but do not remove history. He said the university is committed to continuing conversations on the issue, and faculty and students should discuss ways to better put Jefferson’s life into context.