Louisiana's Concordia Parish school desegregation oversight ended by appeals court

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a more than six‑decade‑old federal desegregation mandate for the Concordia Parish School Board in Louisiana, ending federal oversight of the district. The ruling is hailed by the Trump administration as a reversal of what officials described as outdated federal intrusion, and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said, “The good people of Concordia Parish elected their school board to govern their schools – not unelected federal judges. Today’s decision puts that authority back where it belongs.”

The case, which began in 1965 when Black families sued to integrate all‑white schools amid a violent Klan presence, has been used over the years to address racial disparities in discipline, curriculum and staffing. Civil‑rights groups warn that removing the order could undermine progress and diminish tools needed to combat lingering segregation effects.