The United States, as plaintiff, filed this school desegregation case in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in 1967, with Judge Edwin Hunter presiding. The United States sued the Avoyelles Parish School Board to enjoin the operation of a segregated school system.
Initially, the Board pursued a freedom-of-choice approach to desegregation. The Fifth Circuit at first approved the use of freedom of choice plans in
United States v. Jefferson. 372 F.2d 836 (5th Cir. Dec. 29, 1966). And even in the wake of
Green v. County School Board of New Kent County, 391 U.S. 430 (1968), in which the Supreme Court expressed frustration at the inadequacy of freedom of choice plans, the Western District continued to accept them as a viable option.
See Adams v. Matthews, 401 F.2d 181 (5th Cir. Aug. 20, 1968);
Conley v. Lake Charles School Board, 293 F.Supp. 84, 87 (W.D. La. Nov. 14, 1968) (including Avoyelles Parish). Ultimately, however, in
Hall v. St. Helena Parish, a consolidated appeal of cases from across Circuit, the Fifth Circuit ordered the district courts to reverse course and solicit alternative plans from the various defendant school boards. 417 F.2d 801 (5th Cir. May 28, 1969) (including Avoyelles Parish).
Through the 1970s and 80s, the Board and the United States worked on various desegregation plans. On April 22, 1987, a private plaintiff was allowed to intervene on behalf of his minor child. The district court remained active through the 1980s and 1990s, approving and modifying various Board plans. On July 7, 1988, for example the district court (Judge Nauman Scott) ordered the Parish to close a number of schools after finding the Board's proposed plan unacceptable. Through the 2000s, the Board continued to make various amendments, with court approval, to its desegregation plans, including lots of school construction.
By the 2012, the district court began to declare unitary status in some areas, including transportation, faculty and staff and extracurricular activities. Then on May 21, 2015, the court declared unitary status in student assignment and discipline -- but decided to retain jurisdiction for monitoring purposes for three years.
As of early 2017, the district court retained jurisdiction over some areas and the case remained on-going.
Available OpinionsUnited States v. Avoyelles Parish School Board, Civ. A. No. 65-12721, 2009 WL 1505305 (W.D. La. May 28, 2009) (admonishing the Board for its generally slow progress in achieving unitary status; largely approving a "radical" new plan from the Board to achieve desegregation)
United States v. Avoyelles Parish School Board, Civ. A. No. 65-12721, 2011 WL 2356977 (W.D. La. Mar. 22, 2011) (approving school construction expenditure)
United States v. Avoyelles Parish School Board, Civ. A. No. 65-12721, 2016 WL 3636698 (W.D. La. June 29, 2016) (dispute over attorneys fees for plaintiff-intervenor's attorney)
Greg Margolis - 02/25/2017
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