Officials in West New York, New Jersey, say they are removing the name of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez from a local school following his conviction on federal bribery charges.
The New Jersey Globe reports that Robert Menendez Elementary School will revert to its original name: PS #3.
“We’re going to take the name down before the school year starts,” Mayor Albio Sires says.
Menendez, 70, was convicted earlier this month in federal court on corruption charges. He said he plans to resign from the Senate on Aug. 20. Sentencing is scheduled for late October.
The school was named to honor Menendez in 2013 by then-Mayor Felix Roque to make peace with Menendez; Roque endorsed Republican Joe Kyrillos against Menendez in 2012.
There is some precedent for removing the names of fallen officeholders from public buildings.
The Harrison A. Wiliams, Jr. Metropark train station in Iselin was named in honor of the three-term U.S. Senator. After Williams was convicted on federal bribery charges in the Abscam scandal in 1981, there was a push to remove his name; it took New Jersey Transit several years to remove his name.
