NEW ORLEANS ā Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a petition in district court for Caddo Parish on behalf of a student and his parents, seeking a temporary restraining order against the Caddo Parish School Board (CPSB). The plaintiffs are asking the court to bar CPSB from closing Queensborough Elementary School (Queensborough) after the 2024ā25 school year, modifying its attendance boundaries, and selling its property to any buyer.
As detailed in this recent letter from SPLC, during the April 15, 2025 school board meeting, CPSB unlawfully voted to close Queensborough and list the property for sale by failing to hold public hearings to obtain input from the community before the school board voteāan action that directly harms hundreds of Black families by forcing students to attend schools outside of their current attendance zones. The petition further argues that CPSB violated its own policy on student attendance boundaries by failing to provide proper notice or allow Queensborough families to participate in public hearings regarding the proposed changes.
āIt is clear that the Caddo Parish School Board is not following its own policies when it comes to changing attendance boundaries in the district. Such actions by the school board exclude familiesā voices from the decision-making process. With a temporary restraining order, the community has an opportunity to challenge the school boardās unilateral decision to ensure hundreds of students arenāt displaced next year,ā said Lauren Winkler, Senior Staff Attorney, SPLC.
Click here to read the petition.
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About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.