On April 29, the Department of Justice lifted the ruling that desegregated schools under the Plaquemines Parish School Board in Louisiana.
This was specifically done by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Probing federal oversight” and a court finding that the schools had been properly integrated were cited as reasons for lifting the order. Dhillon has since threatened to lift the remaining desegregation orders throughout the country.
While segregation is no longer forced and the orders were intended to be temporary, vast racial disparities between school districts remain. Many families facing school-related discrimination can not afford to start a lawsuit, leaving them with few options.
Other school districts such as the one in Concordia Parish, also in Louisiana, are also likely to have their school desegregation orders lifted with little resistance, as the original plaintiffs are no longer involved. As a result of many resignations, only two Justice Department lawyers are assigned to the Concordia case.
