The judge criticized the camp for not disclosing the flag’s height to local officials, calling it a lapse in transparency, even though height was disclosed to the FAA.

After the judge’s decision, the group attempted to block enforcement again, but the motion was denied for procedural reasons, allowing enforcement to proceed and the flag’s removal.

Tensions resurfaced in July 2024 when a man was arrested for attempting to take down the flag, underscoring ongoing controversy surrounding Confederate symbols.

A 120-foot Confederate flagpole installed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp No. 68 on private land along I-85 in Spartanburg County is being removed following a court ruling, after lacking a required development permit.

The dispute began with a county zoning decision in favor of the veterans group in 2023, but the county appealed and a circuit court reversed in 2024, reinstating a violation notice and ordering removal or reduction.

County officials had issued a notice of violation in late 2022 requiring the flag to be lowered to 30 feet and no larger than 5 by 8 feet, or else remove the pole.

The case remains active as the SCV camp seeks a future opportunity to display the flag while complying with or contesting the circuit court order; county representatives did not comment at press time.

The flag was taken down in late January 2026 and will remain down as the SCV pursues an appeal to the South Carolina Court of Appeals, with a decision pending.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans have filed another appeal to the South Carolina Court of Appeals, with the outcome still undecided.

Following the court’s order, the camp was given a deadline of February 5 to comply; the flag was removed before the deadline and will stay down for now.

By Friday, observers noted the flag had already been lowered, corroborating the ongoing removal process.

The ruling is considered one of the most prominent Confederate flag removals in South Carolina since 2015’s flag removal from the State House grounds in Columbia.