Opinion ID: 1724796
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Narrow Issue for Decision

Text: As we view this litigation, the particular issue before us is considerably narrower than those issues argued and those decided by the previous courts. The issue before us is only whether the statute attacked infringes upon the power given the university governing board by the state constitution to administer the relationships and activities of the university's students in their capacity as students on the university campus. [1] We hold that the statute does so infringe and that it is therefore unconstitutional. The issue before us is set in this context: Since 1940, the Louisiana constitution has provided that Louisiana State University shall be under the direction, control, supervision and management of its Board of Supervisors. La.Constitution, Article XII, Section 7. In 1958, the Legislature provided that: The fine which may be imposed for violation of any parking regulation established by the governing authority of any state supported college or university in this state, including Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, where the violation occurred upon the streets and roadways of such college or university, shall not exceed the sum of one dollar. La.R.S. 17:1803, as added by Act 297 of 1958. The issue, then, is whether such attempted statutory restriction upon the power of the governing authority of L.S.U., the defendant Board of Supervisors, to impose administrative penalties for violation of parking regulations is unconstitutional insofar as being contrary to administrative regulations adopted by that Board which provided for penalties in excess of $1.00 for improper student parking. The governing authorities of the university adopted certain Traffic and Parking Regulations. They provide for penalties, including, for certain violations, a fine or penalty of $5.00 for student parking in restricted area. [2] The regulations provide for administrative enforcement of the penalties for parking violations by fines payable at the Bursar's office. The sanction for non-payment before the end of a semester is that the student will not be allowed to re-register nor to secure a transcript of credits until he has paid the sum due. The Student Government Association (SGA) is composed of all fulltime students at the Baton Rouge campus of the University. By this action, the SGA prays for a declaratory judgment declaring the provisions of La.R.S. 17:1803 binding upon the Board of Supervisors and its employees and agents; and it further prays that the defendant Board and the defendant university officials shall hereafter be prohibited from imposing fines of more than $1.00 for the violation of any parking regulation. The cause of action of the SGA is essentially based upon the detriment, injury and disadvantage caused to its student members by these parking regulations and collection of the fines. The issue before us thus concerns solely the right of the Board of Supervisors to penalize students for violation of administrative regulations adopted by the Board. We view as before us, therefore, solely the question of whether the legislature may provide for administrative penalties contrary to (greater than or less than) those affecting students duly adopted under authority of the University's Board of Supervisors.