A study to consider merging Southern University at New Orleans with the University of New Orleans is halted for now because of a temporary restraining order that argues the state’s higher education coordinating body is unconstitutional.
The petition, which was filed by former U.S. congressman Cleo Fields on behalf of seven SUNO students, claims the Louisiana Board of Regents became unconstitutional when Gov. Bobby Jindal replaced all the appointed minority board members in December.
The Louisiana Constitution states, “The board should be representative of the state’s population by race and gender to ensure diversity.”
The temporary restraining order was signed Monday afternoon by 19th Judicial District Judge Janice Clark in East Baton Rouge Parish and assigned to the court of Judge Tim Kelley.
A court hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 24.
The study being ceased could cause problems because of its tight March 1 deadline.
The Board of Regents was next scheduled to meet Feb. 23-24.
In December, Jindal appointed four new white men to the Board of Regents, which removed all the appointed minority members from the board. The only black member of the 16-member board is the non-appointed student representative.
The petition points out that the state has a 37 percent racial minority population, according to 2010 Census data.
In addition to Fields, the petition was co-filed by attorney Katrina Jackson of Monroe, who works in the law firm of former legislator Willie Hunter Jr.
by the Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Friday, February 18th 2011 at 5:17PM
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