NEW ORLEANS — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a motion to continue robust supervision of special education services in New Orleans after the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and Orleans Public School Board (OPSB) filed a motion to be released from the Consent Judgment.
Since 2005, the OPSB changed from a single local education agency into more than 50 separate agencies, with each school becoming its own district. Because the federal mandate to provide students with disabilities a free and appropriate education stayed the same, the LDOE and OPSB entered into a Consent Judgment on March 25, 2015, agreeing to hire independent monitors to observe schools. The agreement called for the hiring of independent monitors to observe schools, issuing reports every 180 days until compliance is achieved. In February 2025, both the state and the school district asked to be released from the Consent Judgment and end the monitoring.
“Every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. Continued monitoring will provide necessary oversight and support so that students with disabilities can enjoy the same education as their peers. This Consent Judgment is so much more than just a legal mandate, it is a moral, social and economic necessity that benefits the school community and the future of New Orleans,” said Lauren Winkler, SPLC senior staff attorney for Education and Youth.
Click here to read the motion.
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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.