Case 3:65-cv-11297-RGJ Document 153 Filed 07/05/16 Page 1 of 5 PageID #: 2787

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
MONROE DIVISION
)
JIMMY ANDREWS, et al.,
)
)
Plaintiffs,
)
)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
)
)
Plaintiff-Intervenor, )
)
v.
)
)
MONROE CITY SCHOOL BOARD, et al., )
)
Defendants.
)
)
)

Civil Action No. 65-11297

JUDGE ROBERT G. JAMES

STATUS REPORT
Pursuant to the Courts June 29, 2016 minute entry directing PlaintiffIntervenor United States of America (United States) to notify the Court whether
the parties have resolved the issues described in the United States June 24, 2016
Motion for an Order To Show Cause Why the Monroe City School Board, Its
Individual Members, and the Monroe City Schools Superintendent Should Not Be
Held in Contempt for Failure to Comply with the December 11, 2015 Consent
Decree (ECF No. 113), as amended (ECF Nos. 133, 141) (Motion), the United
States respectfully submits this Status Report and hereby states as follows:
1.

On June 24, 2016, the United States filed its Motion.

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2.

On June 27, 2016, this Court convened a telephone status conference

to discuss the United States Motion. The Court scheduled a subsequent telephone
status conference for June 29, 2016.
3.

During the June 29, 2016 telephone status conference, counsel for the

Monroe City School Board and the Monroe City Schools Superintendent advised the
Court that the superintendent possessed documents indicating that the
requirements of the Consent Decree had been met.
4.

In response to the Courts instruction that the parties discuss the

impact of those documents on the need for a hearing, the United States, the Boards
counsel, and the superintendent participated in a teleconference on June 29, 2016.
During that teleconference, the Boards counsel and the superintendent advised
that they intended to meet during the afternoon of June 29, 2016 to review the
documents in the superintendents possession. They further advised that the
Boards counsel would provide the United States with copies of any documents that
might resolve the Motion.
5.

On information and belief, the Boards counsel and the superintendent

met and reviewed documents on the afternoon of June 29, 2016. However, the
superintendent did not provide counsel with copies of any of the documents to be
forwarded to the United States until Friday, July 1, 2016.
6.

On information and belief, the Boards counsel spent the July 4th

weekend reviewing the documents.

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7.

The United States received the documents at approximately 1:00 a.m.

on Tuesday, July 5, 2016.

8.

The United States has reviewed the documents.

9.

One of the documents provided brings the District into compliance

with Section VI.C.1.v.

10.

However, the District has still missed 90% (18 out of 20) of the

deadlines for which it has been responsible and still has not cured its
noncompliance with seven provisions of the Consent Decree.
11.

Given the foregoing, the United States believes it appropriate to

proceed with the hearing scheduled for July 6, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.
Dated: July 5, 2016

Respectfully submitted,

For Plaintiff-Intervenor United States of

America:
VANITA GUPTA
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General
/s/ Michaele N. Turnage Young
/s/ Kelly D. Gardner
SHAHEENA SIMONS
FRANZ MARSHALL
MICHAELE N. TURNAGE YOUNG (CA
Bar# 247796)
KELLY D. GARDNER (DC Bar#
1002900)
Educational Opportunities Section
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Div.
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, PHB 4300
Washington, D.C. 20530
Tel: (202) 305-4282

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STEPHANIE A. FINLEY
United States Attorney
/s/ Katherine W. Vincent
KATHERINE W. VINCENT (LA #18717)
Assistant United States Attorney
800 Lafayette Street, Suite 2200
Lafayette, LA 70501-6832
Tel: (337) 262-6618

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that, on this 5th day of July 2016, I served a copy of the
foregoing Status Report via CM/ECF on all counsel of record so registered.
/s/ Michaele N. Turnage Young
MICHAELE N. TURNAGE YOUNG