State Educator Satisfied with Settlement Reached in Decades-Old Desegregation Case
by Jim Brown
February 4, 2004
(AgapePress) - Mississippi's commissioner of higher education is calling a federal appeals court ruling in the state's long-running college desegregation case a "big step forward."Last week, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a more than half-a-billion-dollar settlement stemming from a 29-year-old class action lawsuit that accused Mississippi of discriminating against its three Historically Black Universities in appropriating state funds. Opponents of the settlement object to a requirement that 10% of the schools' enrollment be non-black, and claim even more money is needed to enhance programs at the schools.
However, David Potter, the Magnolia State's commissioner of higher education, says he sees the light at the end of the tunnel on this issue.
He says even though judgments regarding such issues vary, "a majority of the plaintiffs supported this settlement [as did] the legislature, the governor, and the presidents of the Historically Black Universities in our state."
"Obviously when you [arrange] a settlement, you're negotiating between two interests -- so you're going to hit a number at some point that may not get unanimous consent, but we had very broad and diverse support for this [settlement]," the education head says.
Potter says the decision to uphold the $500 million settlement to Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, and Mississippi Valley State University is a "terrific victory" for higher education.
"The requirements in the settlement are very specific about programs as well as enhancements of the campus," he explains. "We already have on our staff an auditor who's looking at the expenditures that have already been made and [who] will continue to keep a close eye on how we use these monies. We're going to do this in a very specific, staffed kind of way."
Potter notes that the state's three Historically Black Universities are already very close to meeting a requirement that 10% of their enrollment be non-black.
The case may be appealed to the Supreme Court.
