North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin is under fire following the release of photographs showing him dressed in Confederate military attire during his college years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The controversial images, obtained by The Associated Press, date from 1999 to 2003, when Griffin was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, an organization long criticized for its ties to Confederate symbolism.
The photos, taken during the fraternity’s annual “Old South” ball, show Griffin and fellow members wearing Confederate uniforms, a tradition that critics say glorifies the antebellum South and whitewashed narratives of the Confederacy. One photo from 2001 includes Griffin among nearly two dozen members dressed in uniform, while another from 2000 shows him posing in front of a large Confederate flag.
The Kappa Alpha Order, which regards Confederate General Robert E. Lee as its “spiritual founder,” has faced mounting scrutiny for perpetuating the “Lost Cause” ideology, which romanticizes the Confederacy while minimizing its ties to slavery.
In a public statement responding to the backlash, Judge Griffin said:
“I attended a college fraternity event that, in hindsight, was inappropriate and does not reflect the person I am today.”
He acknowledged a lack of awareness at the time regarding the historical and social implications of such events, emphasizing his present-day commitment to inclusivity, unity, and respect for all individuals.
This revelation arrives at a critical time for Griffin, a Republican judge who is actively contesting the results of his North Carolina Supreme Court race. Griffin is attempting to invalidate over 60,000 votes from the November 2024 election, where he trails the Democratic incumbent by more than 700 votes. The emergence of these photos has drawn bipartisan criticism, even from members of his own party.
