Opinion ID: 37865
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Constitutionality of the Admission Policy

Text: 12 We apply strict scrutiny review to the School Board's race-conscious admission policy: It is by now well established that ` all racial classifications reviewable under the Equal Protection Clause must be strictly scrutinized.' Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244, 123 S.Ct. 2411, 2427, 156 L.Ed.2d 257 (2003) (quoting Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200, 115 S.Ct. 2097, 2111, 132 L.Ed.2d 158 (1995)) (emphasis added). To pass strict scrutiny review, the School Board must demonstrate that the use of race in its current admission program employs ` narrowly tailored measures that further compelling governmental interests. ' Gratz, 123 S.Ct. at 2427 (quoting Adarand, 115 S.Ct. at 2113) (emphasis added).

13 Because the School Board previously operated a dual school system, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, it bears the primary responsibility to `eliminate from the public schools all vestiges of state-imposed segregation.' Davis v. East Baton Rouge Parish Sch. Bd., 721 F.2d 1425, 1434, 1436 (5th Cir.1983) (quoting Milliken v. Bradley, 433 U.S. 267, 97 S.Ct. 2749, 2762, 53 L.Ed.2d 745 (1977)). Remedying the present effects of past discrimination is a compelling interest that in particular circumstances may justify appropriate use of certain racial classifications. Dallas Fire Fighters Ass'n v. City of Dallas, Tex., 150 F.3d 438, 441 (5th Cir.1998). 14 In justifying its admission policy, the School Board has relied exclusively on a consent decree entered by the Western District of Louisiana in 1981 directing the desegregation of the Caddo Parish school system (the 1981 Consent Decree). The School Board has not identified any current effect or condition at CMMS that is traceable to the past segregation within the school system. 8 Therefore, whether the School Board's use of racial classifications serves a compelling governmental interest by seeking to remedy the current effects of past segregation depends entirely on whether the 1981 Consent Decree obligates the School Board to use racial classifications in its current admission policy. As we conclude that the 1981 Consent Decree is no longer applicable to CMMS, it cannot justify the School Board's race-conscious admission policy.
15 The 1981 Consent Decree has it roots in litigation that began in 1965 and that has been the subject of multiple cases within this circuit. The following historical background comes from two earlier cases involving the 1981 Consent Decree: Jones v. Caddo Parish School Board, 735 F.2d 923, 924-26, (5th Cir.1981) ( Jones I ), and Jones v. Caddo Parish School Board, 204 F.R.D. 97, 98-100 (W.D.La.2001) ( Jones II ): 16 In 1965, the parents of seven black children commenced a suit against the School Board seeking desegregation of the Caddo Parish public schools. The United States later intervened as a plaintiff. In 1973, the district court ordered the School Board to implement a desegregation plan; a plan was developed and took effect. In 1976, the School Board filed a motion to have the school system declared unitary, which would have warranted the dismissal of the original suit; however, the United States opposed the motion. In 1977, the district court: (1) ruled that the School Board had fully complied with the 1973 court-ordered desegregation plan; (2) declared the school system to be unitary; and (3) dismissed the suit against the School Board. Thereafter, the United States filed a motion to amend the judgment, the filing of which suspended the finality of the judgment pending decision on the motion. In 1980, the district court gave notice that unless the plaintiffs' attorneys objected, the United States, as plaintiff-intervenor, would represent the interests of the private plaintiffs; the district court did not receive any objections. The United States and the School Board then entered into negotiations, which resulted in the district court-ordered 1981 Consent Decree.
17 In the 1981 Consent Decree, the district court determined that the plan for the System embodied in this Decree is reasonable and appropriate for the additional desegregation of the System, and upon its successful implementation will in fact and in law create a unitary school system for Caddo Parish. 18 The decree, among other things, called for the establishment of magnet schools: 19 The Board will establish new magnet schools at three elementary schools ... and at one middle school (Eden Gardens Junior High School) in order to enhance the quality of education and bring about a greater degree of desegregation at those schools.... The Board will establish an aggressive magnet recruitment program and will permit and encourage students to attend magnet schools using every reasonable effort to achieve the projected racial enrollment for each school within the time period permitted under this Decree. 20 The decree also detailed the projected racial enrollment for each magnet school and how the projection was to be achieved: It is understood by the parties that magnet programs at particular schools may be revised in order to effectively provide for the recruitment and retention of students in the magnet schools and to achieve and maintain a desegregated enrollment. The projected racial enrollment for CMMS — formerly Eden Gardens Junior High School, located in a predominantly black neighborhood with a predominantly black student body — was 50% white and 50% black. [E]nrollment at each magnet school was to be on a parish wide basis and students were to be assigned to the magnet schools based on the following priorities, which were the only priorities stated in the decree: 1) qualified siblings of students who attend the magnet school; 2) qualified black students who would otherwise attend a school with over 90% black student enrollment; and 3) qualified white students who would otherwise attend a school with over 65% white student enrollment. These priorities were to apply, however, only to the extent that they did not impede the School Board's achievement of the projected racial enrollments at the magnet schools. 21 The School Board was to implement the magnet school program at Eden Gardens Junior High, which would become CMMS, before or beginning with the 1982-83 school year. The School Board was to use its best efforts to attain the projected racial enrollments ... by the end of the 1984-85 school year by developing attractive programs at [CMMS] and by encouraging students of both races to attend [CMMS] and benefit from [its] programs. 22 The school system was to remain under the jurisdiction of the district court during the period in which the decree was in effect, subject to certain provisions that provided for the termination of the court's jurisdiction. The decree specifically provided for the termination of the district court's jurisdiction over the magnet and laboratory 9 schools: 23 With respect to the magnet school and laboratory school proposals contained in ... this Decree, the Board shall have three years from the respective implementation dates for each such school within which to meet the projected enrollments at the magnet and laboratory schools. Such projected enrollments for a particular school shall be deemed to have been met if the actual enrollment in the school is within ± 15 percentage points of the projection for such school.... Upon meeting the projected enrollments for all magnet and laboratory schools covered by this Section D of Part V, this Decree shall terminate as to such schools, the Board shall be entitled to an order of the Court so stating, and the United States shall not be entitled to seek any further or additional remedy with respect to such schools. 24 Finally, the decree outlined the procedure by which the School Board could seek an order declaring the school system to be unitary and dismissing the case: 25 At any time after the 1983-84 school year, the Board may file a Notice of Compliance with the terms and conditions of this Decree. If the United States agrees that the Board is in full compliance with the terms and conditions of this Decree, the United States shall join in the Notice and shall state that it supports an order declaring the System to be unitary and dismissing the case. If no objection to the Notice is made within 30 days of its filing, the Court shall enter an order declaring the entire system unitary, to the extent it has not already been so declared, and terminating this case. Any objections must be specific as to alleged terms of noncompliance with the provisions of this Decree. The objections shall be heard by the Court under reasonable procedures set forth by the Court and in the event any further remedy is ordered, it shall be limited to resolving the objection so filed.
26 In 1987, the School Board filed a Notice of Compliance with the 1981 Consent Decree and requested the district court to rule that the school system had achieved unitary status. On April 4, 1990, based on a joint motion filed by United States and the School Board, the district court entered an order affirming the parties' agreement (the 1990 Order). Jones II, 204 F.R.D. at 98-99. The 1990 Order provided in pertinent part: 27 (1) Except as specifically set forth in § 7 of the Joint Motion, there are no issues or disputes regarding successful compliance and full implementation of the 1981 Consent Decree; 28