Mount Hermon School Lawsuit: Judge Denies Emergency Order

A federal judge in Louisiana has rejected a request from Mount Hermon parents for an emergency court order that would have paused the Washington Parish School Board's reconfiguration of their local school. Judge Anna St. John ruled on October 13 that the parents had not shown an immediate threat of irreparable harm, noting the change is not set to begin until the 2027-28 school year. The denial does not settle the lawsuit. A separate request for a preliminary injunction is still pending.

The board approved the plan 7-1 on September 24. Keith Giles, who represents the Mount Hermon district, cast the only no vote. Under the plan, about 140 students in grades 7 through 12 would move to Franklinton schools: seventh and eighth graders to the junior high and older students to the high school. On October 15 the board met in executive session to discuss the case, citing a Louisiana statute on pending litigation. The article says Giles was excluded. The lawsuit, filed in federal court the day of the vote, alleges the change could affect students with disabilities and also challenges how the board approved it.

District officials point to falling enrollment, staffing and finances, and say the move would widen career and technical, credential and dual-enrollment options. The article reports enrollment dropped from 456 to about 323 over a decade, and per-student spending of roughly $18,100 versus about $16,000 districtwide. A petition drew 711 signatures. A district spokesperson declined to comment on the litigation.