ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana — A federal judge in Louisiana has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to close a decades-old school desegregation case, prompting the state and the Concordia Parish school system to file an appeal. The dispute centers on a 1965 lawsuit brought by Black families seeking equal access to public education, a case that the administration hoped to dismiss as part of a broader effort to end long-standing Civil Rights-era orders.
U.S. District Judge Dee Drell rejected the joint filing from Louisiana officials and the U.S. Justice Department, ruling that the court has a responsibility to ensure desegregation requirements are fully met before lifting federal oversight. Drell noted that the families who originally brought the lawsuit were not involved in the state and federal request to dismiss the case. He invited the district to a hearing where it must prove it has dismantled state-sponsored segregation.
The case represents the first significant resistance to the administration’s larger campaign to terminate similar orders across the South. The Justice Department previously succeeded in lifting a 1966 order in Plaquemines Parish and had signaled plans to seek dismissals in additional districts.
Dozens of school desegregation cases from the 1960s remain active or unresolved across Louisiana. Supporters of continued oversight argue that court orders still play a role in ensuring equal educational opportunities, while state officials say the mandates are outdated and intrude on local decision-making.
———————————————
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
