A group of Southern University students has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a possible merger of historically black Southern University at New Orleans with the University of New Orleans campus. The 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge has issued a temporary restraining order against the Board of Regents’ study of the issue and any merger until a Feb. 24 hearing about the matter. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the students by former state Sen. Cleo Fields, argues that it’s unconstitutional for the Board of Regents to study a consolidation of the two campuses because its racial and gender makeup under-represents black and female Louisiana citizens. The Board of Regents has hired a Colorado-based consultant to study the merger. Recommendations were supposed to be due to the Regents by March 1.
Lawsuit filed over SUNO/UNO merger study
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