Los Angeles school district officials on Monday backed off plans to immediately paint over a mural at a campus in Koreatown amid a growing chorus of objections.
The mural at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools is dominated by an image of actress Ava Gardner. But it has run afoul of a coalition of Korean groups that object to the sun rays in the background, which they associate with the Japanese imperial battle flag.
Earlier this month, L.A. Unified announced its decision to paint over the mural after the Korean groups said they found the background as offensive as a swastika and threatened legal action.
The mural’s artist, Beau Stanton, has denied any connection between his artwork and the battle flag. The rays on the flag differ in number, thickness and color.
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