Louisiana school board and federal government end 61 years of segregation monitoring

In Bossier City, Louisiana, a significant milestone has been reached as the local school board and the federal government have jointly decided to terminate a desegregation mandate that has been in place for an astonishing 61 years. This groundbreaking development was unveiled on the very first day of classes for Bossier Parish Schools, which is located in the vicinity of Shreveport.

In a statement released, Jason Rowland, the Superintendent of Bossier Schools, expressed his gratitude, stating that the dismissal of the case affords the school board the autonomy to make decisions that are in the best interest of all students, staff, and the community. However, he emphasized the importance of acknowledging the historical context of the past 61 years.

Attorney General Liz Murrill played a pivotal role in facilitating this monumental decision. She recently announced the successful lifting of a desegregation mandate for the rural Concordia Parish School Board, situated along the Mississippi River. Murrill expressed her belief that these decades-old consent decrees are no longer necessary and highlighted their high costs, inefficiency, and the power they have taken away from local communities.

The U.S. Justice Department, for several decades, has been advocating for such cases. However, this approach changed under the Trump administration. Officials from the Trump administration framed the remaining segregation orders as an instance of federal intrusion into local school systems. The Louisiana officials agree that these orders are no longer relevant and describe them as relics from a time when Black students were prohibited from attending certain schools.

Interestingly, the original lawsuit filed in 1964 that resulted in the oversight agreement has no living plaintiffs. Their children, who were part of the initial court proceedings, could not be contacted. Despite this, the Bossier Parish Schools have maintained a cooperative relationship with the Department of Justice over the years, collaborating on every new school, classroom expansion, and attendance zone change.