Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Hendry Schools Desegregation Case Ends After 55 Years

On August 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had ended its long-standing desegregation case against Hendry County Schools in Florida. The federal lawsuit, originally filed in 1970, required decades of court oversight to eliminate the vestiges of legally mandated racial segregation in the district.

A federal judge approved the dismissal after the DOJ and the school district agreed that all practicable steps to remedy past segregation had been completed. Over the years, the court had ordered and the district implemented measures to prevent racially identifiable schools, ensure non-discriminatory hiring and staff assignment, guarantee equitable student discipline, and provide non-segregated transportation and extracurricular opportunities. By 2021, the district had satisfied nearly all requirements, with the final court supervision focused on ensuring fair student discipline practices.

In 2025, both parties stipulated that the district had eliminated the last remaining signs of de jure segregation, particularly regarding student discipline. This led to the court dissolving the permanent injunction and ending federal oversight. According to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, this closure allows local taxpayer funds previously used for federal monitoring to be redirected for students’ direct benefit. The DOJ issued a formal press release highlighting this milestone, emphasizing that the conditions in Hendry County’s schools now reflect full compliance with civil rights laws.

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