education
Court dismisses defamation case surrounding book censorship effort in Louisiana
A Louisiana judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit after hearing arguments Wednesday in a case surrounding book censorship efforts at the Livingston Parish Library. Livingston Parish resident Ryan Thames, who runs the Facebook page Bayou State of Mind, appeared in court Wednesday afternoon before 21st Judicial District Judge Erika Sledge to seek dismissal of a defamation […]
LGBTQ book restrictions get dog-eared in Livingston Parish
LIVINGSTON — A proposal to censor certain books with LGBTQ+ content at the Livingston Parish Library stalled Tuesday night after the library’s board members rejected the move. They deemed the effort an attempt to circumvent their policies and procedures, though the matter could continue indefinitely as conservative activists become familiar with the system. Livingston Parish […]
‘Starvation diet’ creates low interest in Louisiana teaching profession
Louisiana, like much of the country, is struggling through what is perhaps the worst teacher shortage in history. The situation is exacerbated by low wages, high inflation and school safety concerns, but also rooted in how society views public education and the teaching profession. Numbers don’t lie. State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley sounded the alarm […]
Louisiana sees massive increases in education, literacy funding
Louisiana schools will see large increases in funding for literacy, early education programs and public universities, as its Legislature directed money from excess federal COVID-19 relief packages toward education. “We know that we have too many kids who by the second grade are not reading at grade level … and we don’t do a very […]
Corporal punishment ban passes in Louisiana House on 3rd try
Despite two failed previous attempts to pass the legislation, the Louisiana House passed a ban on corporal punishment in public schools unless a parent or guardian provides written consent. House Bill 649, authored by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans, would outlaw “the use of physical force that causes pain or discomfort to discipline a student” […]
LGBTQ students, parents, advocacy group sue Florida over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
Statewide LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Ron DeSantis, state education officials, and others over a new law aiming to limit conversations about LGBTQ people in classrooms.
Louisiana lawmaker makes another attempt to ban corporal punishment in public schools
Louisiana lawmakers will once again decide whether to continue allowing corporal punishment in public schools. A bill to outlaw “the use of physical force that causes pain or discomfort to discipline a student” will be offered to the Louisiana Legislature, said Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans, who authored the same proposal last year. It failed […]
Franklinton legislator proposes law to block porn on college campuses
A Louisiana state senator is proposing a new law that would prohibit students from accessing pornography or sexually explicit content on their personal phones or computers while connected to a university’s wifi network or internet service provider. Senate Bill 131, filed by Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, would require each public university to prohibit access to […]
Lawsuit settlement breaks down between unvaccinated students and Louisiana medical school
Settlement negotiations appear to have broken down for three medical students who are suing a north Louisiana medical school over its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The students asked a federal court in Monroe Tuesday to amend their complaint, lodging new allegations that the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) implemented new discriminatory policies that require […]
State lawmakers to hold first public forum on redistricting in Monroe
In a process that will impact almost every election in Louisiana for the next decade, the state legislature will hold the first of nine regional public forums on Oct. 20 beginning in Monroe regarding how lawmakers will draw the state’s new political maps and choose which voters to include in which districts. Beginning in mid-October […]
What does Louisiana school lunchtime look like during a pandemic?
With the fourth surge of the COVID-19 delta variant still raging, K-12 school systems in Louisiana have had to restructure their most basic services — even school lunches. Though mask mandates are in place for Louisiana schools, educators still have to safely navigate lunchtime, where students have to remove masks in order to eat. In […]
Students who won’t take vaccine lodge new allegations at Louisiana medical school
The three students who are suing a north Louisiana medical school over its COVID-19 vaccination policy filed a new motion Monday alleging a college administrator belittled them in an email last week in an attempt to “turn the student body against them.” The students, Rachel Lynn Magliulo, Matthew Shea Willis and Kirsten Willis Hall, filed […]