Southern Poverty Law Center determined to end ongoing discrimination in Jefferson Parish

JEFFERSON PARISH (WGNO) — An administrative complaint has been filed with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of the students and families in Jefferson Parish.

The complaint shines a light on a number of civil rights violations against students of color, emergent multilingual students and families, students with disabilities, and students experiencing homelessness in the district under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The complaint also focuses on language issues that have resulted in wrongful enrollment denials, and limited access to important information, and lists instances of blatant racial and ethnic bullying.

One noted incident reportedly occurred during Black History Month when a photo of black students at a predominantly white school began to circulate on social media, containing a racist caption. While an investigation was done no further action was taken.

“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. 

Involved in the complaint was the district’s school consolidation plan for the 2023-2024 school year. The plan affects a disproportionate number of minority students: 34 percent Black, 37 percent Hispanic, and 22 percent White.

This is the second action taken on behalf of the Jefferson Parish community after a similar complaint in 2012 came about on behalf of Latino students ending discriminatory treatment towards the students. The complaint reached a settlement and the SPLC is hoping for similar results.

In a statement in response to the SLPC’s allegations, originally documented in a letter to the Department of Education, the Jefferson Parish School Board issued a statement regarding the complaint, saying:

We are aware of the recent complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights. The 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan presented by Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting does not discriminate against students. There is a process for obtaining interpreters for any meeting by request, and the district sent multiple messages to families in their home language about meetings related to the 2023 Plan. If necessary, we will provide a response to the Office of Civil Rights. As the largest and most diverse public school system in Louisiana, we value the diversity of our students, families, employees and community.

JEFFERSON PARISH SCHOOLS

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