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Jefferson Parish School Board settles lawsuit, will reform alternative school policies
By Bella Dardano,
2024-04-11
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. ( WGNO ) — The Jefferson Parish School Board has approved a settlement agreement that will reform its policies for placing students in alternative schools, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The settlement comes after the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic at Loyola University and the SPLC filed a lawsuit against the school board in September 2023.
The lawsuit claimed Jefferson Parish Public Schools “refused to enroll a 14-year-old student in his zoned public school within the district solely because he previously attended Travis Hill School, an Orleans Parish charter school based in a juvenile detention center.”
According to the lawsuit, the student was placed into an alternative school during the 2023-2024 school year without due process.
The settlement agreement that was approved on Thursday, April 11, requires the school district to give notice and a hearing before transferring a student to an alternative school.
SPLC officials said the settlement also requires staff in admissions, enrollment and discipline to receive training on the new policies and procedures outlined in the settlement.
“This agreement will have a wide impact for all students facing disciplinary alternative school placements by ensuring procedural due process and reasonable fact-finding standards are met before a decision is made,” said SPLC attorney Ashley Dalton.
According to a news release, the school board should amend its policies within 30 days.
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