BOSSIER PARISH, Louisiana — A federal desegregation case dating to the civil rights era has formally ended after 61 years, returning full control of Bossier Parish schools to local officials.
The Bossier Parish School Board and Justice Department agreed to dismiss the 1964 case, which began when Black students were still being excluded from white schools. Federal oversight later governed issues including school assignments, facilities and other measures intended to dismantle the district’s dual school system.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the district had complied with court requirements for decades and described continued oversight as costly and unnecessary. Superintendent Jason Rowland said the dismissal gives local officials “freedom to make our own decisions” while acknowledging the history that produced the decree.
The original plaintiffs are deceased, and their children could not be located, according to court filings. The Justice Department, which historically enforced desegregation orders, has increasingly supported ending long-running federal supervision under the Trump administration.
The move follows similar efforts involving other Louisiana districts, including DeSoto and Concordia parishes.
Ending court supervision does not repeal federal civil rights laws or permit renewed segregation. Bossier Parish remains subject to constitutional and statutory protections against racial discrimination, but future disputes will no longer be handled through the decades-old desegregation case.
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