Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Louisiana
extracurricular activities and race
Can a parish's school board or separate school decide what students are to participate in extracurricular activities and do this according to race?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: extracurricular activities and race
The question does not contain sufficient detail to give a proper answer. However, generally speaking, any segregation by race is illegal. Additionally, there are rules concerning the number of extracurricular activities a student may participate in which are in place to avoid school becoming something other than a place to be educated.
Re: extracurricular activities and race
Generally, federal statutes commonly referred to as "Title VI" and "Title IX" prohitib insitutions and schools receiving federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, religion and so forth. In addition, federal courts seem zealous in the use of a legal pre-trial procedure called "summary judgment" to dispose of a great number of discrimination cases throughout the nation. In order to establish a viable claim, the complaining party should be able to point to proof or evidence which substantiates that the school decisions are intentionally discriminatory, or that the policies or practices of the school or school system disproportionately affect a protected class of people less favorable than other identifiable groups. There may also be a requirement of notice to the appropriate school authority or school board that the complaining party feels discriminated against and the plain reason for feeling that way. If you feel that your concerns fit within this framework, you should contact a lawyer with experience in trial and appeals of such cases to discuss your claims.