Louisiana
Louisiana asks appeals court to keep Title IX rule protecting LGBTQ+ students on hold
On Monday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments in the case stemming from Louisiana’s lawsuit.
“Given the fact that the United States Supreme Court has already denied stays on these injunctions, I’m optimistic that this court will also uphold the injunction,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told reporters after the Monday evening hearing.
At issue is the new U.S. Department of Education rule that says discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited under Title IX, a 1972 federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in schools and colleges that receive federal funding. Other provisions of the rule add protections for pregnant students and expand the definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges.
The rule, which was set to take effect Aug. 1, does not address transgender students’ participation in school sports, a highly contentious issue that will be the subject of a separate directive.
The new federal regulations could invalidate Louisiana laws that forbid transgender people from using school bathrooms that match their gender identity and protect teachers who refuse to refer to students by their preferred names and pronouns. If the rules took effect and Louisiana was found in violation of them, the state would face the prospect of losing billions of dollars in federal funding for schools, Murrill said Monday.
Murrill’s office filed a federal lawsuit to block the new Title IX rule immediately after it was issued in April. The lawsuit, which three other states joined, said that Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration had overstepped its authority and upended Title IX, which they argued was intended to protect only biological girls and women.
“This law was driven originally by a desire to stop discrimination against women in the education environment,” Murrill said Monday. “It is now being turned on its head.”
In a court filing, the state’s attorneys said the new Title IX interpretation would “transform” schools and harm students.
“Boys and girls will be forced to share bathrooms, locker rooms, and lodging on overnight field trips with members of the opposite sex, including adults,” the Sept. 19 filing said. “Students and teachers will be forced to use whatever pronouns a student demands based on his or her self-professed ‘gender identity.’”
Lawyers for the federal government argue that the new Title IX rule is based on a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Bostock v. Clayton County, that said a federal ban on sex-based discrimination in the workplace also prohibits discrimination against gay and transgender people. The same logic applies to discrimination in schools, the Biden administration says.
“It is impossible to explain what it is you’re doing when you are intentionally discriminating against someone based on their gender identity without consideration of that person’s sex,” said Jack Starcher, an attorney representing the federal government, at Monday’s hearing. “Discrimination based on gender identity is discrimination based on sex.”
The Biden administration asked the court to limit the pause on the law to just those parts dealing with gender identity, allowing other provisions — such as those dealing with lactation spaces for pregnant students — to take effect while the legal challenges proceed. But Louisiana’s lawyers argue the rule’s expanded definition of sex-based discrimination touches every aspect of the law.
“Their new definitions are pervasive throughout the rule,” Murrill said after the hearing, adding that it would be confusing for schools to determine which parts of the new rule were in effect and which were paused.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is considered one of the country’s most conservative appellate courts. Judge Jerry Smith, one of the three presiding judges at Monday’s hearing, appeared skeptical of the Biden administration’s rule.
Smith, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, gave a hypothetical scenario in which a biological female student objected to playing volleyball during physical education class alongside a transgender girl. Under the new rule, Smith suggested, the student would lose access to her P.E. class if she refused to participate.
That “young woman would be denied the benefits of educational services by saying, ‘I don’t want this great big burly guy coming in here and competing against me,’” he said, referring to the transgender student as a “guy.”
The appeals court is expected to rule in the coming weeks. Murrill said she expects that one of the cases challenging the new Title IX will eventually head to the U.S. Supreme Court.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – It’s Election Day, and many voters are deciding on some closely watched primary run-offs, which will determine who appears on the ballot in November.
Polls are open as of 7 a.m. on June 27 and will close at 8 p.m. You will still be able to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.
Election coverage
Fox 8 will bring you analysis as the numbers come in. Our election coverage starts at 9 p.m. on our streaming apps and online.
Who’s on the ballot?
Today is the Republican primary runoff between Stephanie Hilferty and John Young for Louisiana Public Service Commission District 1.
And in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 race, Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder are going head-to-head.
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and Congresswoman Julia Letlow face off for the Republican U.S Senate nomination.
This week, a JMC Analytics poll put Fleming five points higher than Letlow.
Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis are the two candidates on the U.S Senate Democratic ballot.
On May 16, Davis got 47 percent of the vote statewide in the Democratic primary. Crockett got 26 percent of the vote.
Fox 8 interviewed the Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. You can watch those interviews below:
Voters will also decide how much they want to fund 140 St. Tammany sheriff’s deputies. Fox 8 covered this proposal extensively, and voters can learn more HERE.
New party primary rules
In June 27th’s runoff, voters must stick with the same party they selected in the May election. For example, those who voted Republican in May must vote Republican in this runoff.
However, in the November general election, all voters can select any candidate on the ballot regardless of party.
The Louisiana Secretary of State website lists requirements voters should know before heading to the polls.
What should I bring?
Be prepared to show one of the following before voting:
- a driver’s license;
- a Louisiana Special ID;
- LA Wallet digital driver’s license;
- a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture; or
- some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
Where do I vote?
You can use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on election day, or you can call your parish Registrar of Voters Office. Your voter information card, which is sent by mail, lists your polling place.
Click HERE to find your voting precinct by entering personal information, such as your zip code. This method gives you the most specific information.
Can I vote by mail?
In Louisiana, only certain citizens can vote by mail, including:
- military or overseas citizens;
- senior citizens (65+);
- voters with disabilities;
- higher education students & professors;
- religious clergy;
- voters temporarily absent during early voting and election day;
- voters who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles from former residence within 30 days of election;
- persons involuntarily confined to institution;
- sequestered jurors;
- voters hospitalized or who expect to be hospitalized during early voting and election day;
- voters employed upon state waters;
- voters incarcerated for non-felony with sheriff’s certification; and
- participants in the state’s address confidentiality program.
For more information, click HERE.
What if I have a disability?
People with visual impairments and the person assisting them in voting may go to the front of the line at their polling place.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, a voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if they are unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.
However, voters must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail before the election if they need assistance in voting or complete an affidavit and/or provide specific documentation to the commissioner on election day.
For more information, click HERE.
Rules on advocating
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, you should never wear, hand out, or display anything advocating for or against any candidate, proposition, or political party appearing on the ballot in the election while voting. All polling places have a 600 foot campaign free zone.
To see what exactly will be on your ballot, find polling locations, and more, you can go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website HERE.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
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Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – After being hired as the new head coach of the Southern Jaguars, Marshall Faulk made the trip to Central Louisiana to help promote his program.
“These are my eyes for the talent in this area,” Faulk told KALB. “We’re aggressive about recruiting the State of Louisiana, and so when there’s good talent and players coming up here, hanging out with some of the people that I know.”
Southern is Faulk’s first head coaching job after spending last season as an assistant at Colorado.
“I’ve done a lot of stuff in the states that I’ve lived,” Faulk said. “Being born here, I hadn’t done a lot around helping youth sports and helping kids in this environment. I’ve got a lot of information and education around football and things that I can give, and this is a great opportunity to give back.”
The Jaguars only won two games in 2025, but are just two years removed from a SWAC Championship Game appearance.
“Just the guys learning how to practice their willingness to learn,” Faulk said on the traits he’s seen thus far from his team. “They’re wanting their desire to get better, and that’s all you want.”
Southern opens up their season on August 29 against Alabama State at the Birmingham Football Classic.
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Copyright 2026 KALB. All rights reserved.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official completion of the $128 million I-20 Major Rehabilitation Project in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
[Above photo by Louisiana DOTD]
The project, noted as being one of the largest investments in the I-20 corridor in many years, included a total rebuild of all the travel lanes and ramps at five interchanges from near Hamilton Road to LA 782-2 (Industrial Drive) in Bossier City.
Work began on this I-20 project in September 2023, which included removing all of the original pavement and roadway base down to the dirt – fully reconstructing them with all new material, the first project of its kind for this section of interstate since it was built in the 1960s.
The project also included extensive concrete panel replacements across the Red River on sections of I-20 in Shreveport; drainage structure installation and improvements; new overhead signage and related components; updated street lighting, a new barrier wall, and headlight glare screens; plus fresh roadway striping and reflectorized pavement markings.
The agency said contractors completed all major construction work such as concrete paving by late 2025, with final items – including permanent roadway striping and signage – finished over the last several months.
“The I-20 project is a testament to what we can accomplish when collaboration is at the forefront and everyone works toward a common goal, which is to deliver a large-scale investment that positively impacts the quality of life for thousands of citizens,” noted Governor Jeff Landry (R) in a statement.
“Executing such a vast infrastructure improvement also demonstrates government accountability, effective project management, and a commitment to delivering on our promises,” he said.
“The I-20 major rehabilitation project was a transformational investment in one of the most vital transportation corridors in not only Louisiana, but also across the entire southern United States,” added Glenn Ledet, Louisiana DOTD secretary. “Meaningful advancements like this one help ensure reliability, safety, and resilience – all of which are essential to strengthening the larger transportation network.”
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