SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Sugar Land City Council voted in support of a bill that would allow Fort Bend County to own and maintain the graves of 95 African Americans who were part of the state's convict leasing system, according to the city.
Construction was underway in February 2018 for the new James Reese Career and Technical Center when the remains were found on the property of the Fort Bend Independent School District.
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Officials decided to keep the remains at the construction site.
PHOTOS: Old prison at site where graveyard was found in Fort Bend County
House Bill 4179 would allow the county to provide "perpetual care" for the remains, according to a news release from the city.
The remains included all males - except for one female - ages 14 to 70 years old.