SPLC Files DOJ Complaint to Address Ongoing Discrimination in Jefferson Parish School District


 

SPLC Files DOJ Complaint to Address Ongoing Discrimination in Jefferson Parish School District

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) submitted an administrative complaint with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice seeking federal intervention to address pervasive and ongoing discrimination against students and families in the Jefferson Parish School District.

The complaint describes numerous civil rights violations under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act against students of color, emergent multilingual students and families, students with disabilities and students experiencing homelessness in the district. The complaint details language access issues that often result in wrongful enrollment denials and limited access to important information such as school transportation. The complaint also documents incidents of racial and ethnic bullying and retaliation against those who speak up.

On one occasion, during Black History Month at a predominately white school, a photo of Black students was posted online by peers with a racist caption. Although the school conducted a bullying investigation, the school has not taken appropriate steps to separate the accused harassers from their targets, the complaint states.

“Today, we join the children of Jefferson Parish and their families in asking the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to heed their call for equity and justice by demanding the Jefferson Parish School District and local school board comply with federal mandates that prohibit schools from discriminating against students based on race and national origin,” said SPLC Senior Supervising Attorney Luz Lopez. “All children, regardless of race or ability to speak English, deserve access to a quality education in a safe, accessible environment. We urge the Civil Rights Division to take action to ensure the district and local school board meet their responsibilities to the community they serve.”

The complaint also addresses concerns the SPLC raised last month about the district’s plans to move, consolidate and close several schools before the start of the 2023-2024 school year, and the disproportionate impact of the school closures on Black and Latino students. The overall student population for the Jefferson Parish School District is 34 percent Black, 37 percent Hispanic and 22 percent white. However, the schools announced for closure predominantly serve Black and Latino students, according to the complaint.

A coalition of local advocacy groups, including Familias Unidas en Acción and the SPLC tracked numerous civil rights violations and incidents of discrimination since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. The stories were shared with the U.S. Department of Justice under anonymity to prevent retaliation against students and families.

The SPLC filed a similar complaint in 2012 on behalf of Latino students in the Jefferson Parish School District, which resulted in a settlement agreement to address concerns involving language access, bullying and retaliation. However, years later, the problems persist. The SPLC and its coalition members are requesting a meeting with the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division and subsequent intervention to remedy these civil rights violations.

Multiple local civil rights and advocacy groups have signed on to the letter from SPLC, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Step Up Louisiana, Rejoice, Inc., Friends of Dandrige and Supporters of Washington, Inc.

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