St. Martin Parish School Desegregation Case Is Still Active

All of the board members of the St. Martin Parish School Board were in agreement last night when discussing the appeal of a judge's ruling.  At issue was whether or not to appeal Judge Elizabeth Foote's decision saying the parish's desegregation suit is still alive.  At the closed door meeting, they all agreed to appeal.

The school board members believe that the case was officially closed in 1974, but the U.S. Justice Department along with lawyers for the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund contend that the case was never closed.  The desegregation case has not been active since the 70's, and that is one of the reasons why school board members say it the right thing to appeal.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote ruled the case was never technically closed.  Foote's ruling only focused on the subject of whether or not the case is still active, but the ruling did not say anything about whether or not the St. Martin Parish school system complies with desegregation guidelines.