Upper Arlington Schools Seek to Lay Unidentified Child Remains to Rest

District files petition to cremate and rebury bones found beneath high school, including nearly complete skeleton of 9-10 year old girl.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Upper Arlington City Schools has filed a petition with Franklin County Probate Court seeking approval to cremate and rebury unidentified human remains, including what officials believe is the nearly complete skeleton of a 9- to 10-year-old girl, that were discovered beneath the high school parking lot during reconstruction in 2020. The district says DNA testing has not identified any relatives, and they have worked with descendants of the Pleasant Litchford family, whose cemetery once occupied the land, to develop a respectful final disposition plan.

Why it matters

The discovery has renewed scrutiny over how graves were handled when the Litchford family cemetery was moved to make way for school construction in the 1950s, with concerns that other burials were likely left behind. The case has drawn attention to the wider pattern of forgotten Black burial grounds and how communities choose to confront that history.

The details

Under the district's proposal, bone fragments believed to have been moved into unmarked graves in the 1950s would be cremated and reinterred at Union Cemetery. The child's remains would be cremated and reburied in the Pleasant Litchford Memorial Garden on the south side of the high school. District officials say descendants of Pleasant Litchford worked with them on this plan, and that the garden is slated to receive interpretive signage and an Ohio historical marker.

  • In 2020, archaeologists uncovered multiple graves, including one with nearly complete human remains, during work on the new high school.
  • Upper Arlington Schools filed a petition with Franklin County Probate Court on February 19, 2026.
  • A probate hearing is scheduled for March 12, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.

The players

Upper Arlington City Schools

The school district that is seeking approval to cremate and rebury the unidentified remains found beneath the high school.

Pleasant Litchford

The individual whose family cemetery once occupied the land where the high school now stands.

Franklin County Probate Court

The court that has jurisdiction over the petition and will handle the March hearing.

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What’s next

The Franklin County Probate Court will hold a hearing on March 12, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. to consider the district's petition. Anyone who wants to challenge the plan must file an objection by February 26, 2026 and include proof of a relationship to Pleasant Litchford or to the remains.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges communities face in addressing forgotten or disturbed burial grounds, particularly those associated with marginalized populations. The district's efforts to work with Litchford descendants and create a memorial garden represent a step towards recognizing and honoring this history, but the probate process will determine the final resting place for the unidentified remains.