📢 Major Update: School Desegregation Order Lifted After 59 Years
The U.S. Department of Justice has officially lifted a school desegregation order in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, first issued in 1966. Officials say it's time to move forward, but civil rights advocates fear the decision could signal a return to school segregation — and more such orders could soon be removed.
🕰️ Background: What Are School Desegregation Orders?
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Introduced during the Civil Rights Movement, these legal agreements aimed to integrate public schools following the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
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The DOJ filed many such orders in the 1960s to force compliance with anti-segregation laws.
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They remain in effect until a district proves it has resolved the effects of segregation.
✅ Why the DOJ Closed the Louisiana Order
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The Plaquemines Parish district was declared integrated in 1975.
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The case sat inactive in court for decades due to a judge’s death and missing records.
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DOJ and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a joint motion stating all claims had been “fully resolved.”
🧍 Superintendent Shelley Ritz said continued reporting created a burden for her small district of under 4,000 students.
📋 What These Orders Usually Require
Desegregation orders typically address:
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School zoning and student transfers 🔁
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Faculty hiring diversity 🧑🏫
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Transportation or busing plans 🚌
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Equitable access to programs and services 🍽️
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Disciplinary equity and student outcomes 📊
Even during the pandemic, these orders were used to challenge policies that disproportionately hurt Black students.
⚖️ Mixed Reactions From Civil Rights Experts
🚨 Civil rights advocates warn that ending these orders doesn’t mean the issue of segregation is solved:
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🗨️ Johnathan Smith says many schools are now more segregated than in 1954.
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📉 Research shows schools often resegregate quickly after oversight ends.
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🧠 Halley Potter, an education policy expert, called it a step backward for educational equality.
📌 Where Desegregation Orders Still Exist
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Over 130 school districts are still under DOJ desegregation orders.
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Most are in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, with others in Louisiana, Florida, and beyond.
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Some districts also operate under separate agreements with the U.S. Education Department.
🔮 What’s Next?
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Louisiana AG Liz Murrill has requested reviews of additional school desegregation orders across the state.
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Federal officials hint that more such legal agreements may be phased out.
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Civil rights groups are preparing for potential court challenges if oversight ends without proven equity.
📌 Summary Points
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✅ The Justice Department lifted a school desegregation order in Louisiana for the first time in decades.
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⚖️ Officials say it reflects progress; activists worry about resegregation.
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📊 Over 130 school systems remain under such orders — for now.
