NEW ORLEANS — An expert report filed in federal court reveals that the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO) stops and tickets Black drivers at five times the rate of non-Black drivers. The disparity climbs even higher for enforcement: Black drivers are stopped, ticketed, and criminally charged at seven times the rate of non-Black drivers, stark evidence of systematic racial discrimination in policing.
Prepared by Dr. Sarah Abraham, an economist with Cornerstone Research, the report found that Black drivers—who make up only 7.3% of the adult population—accounted for 35.4% of traffic-related police reports and 26.8% of all tickets issued in Livingston Parish.
Dr. Abraham's analysis ruled out alternative explanations for the disparity, including vehicle usage, car ownership rates, and income.
These findings are not just abstract numbers: they are part of an ongoing federal civil rights lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Louisiana, the Trial Impact Project (formerly known as Social Justice Legal Foundation), and the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of Alexander Clark, a Black senior citizen who experienced LPSO’s discriminatory traffic enforcement firsthand. In May 2021, Mr. Clark was heading home after a 16-hour work shift and was pulled over by an LPSO deputy for allegedly failing to use his turn signal. What started as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated. Mr. Clark was searched, verbally harassed, and roughly arrested. Deputies subjected Mr. Clark and his passenger, both Black men in their late 60s, to nearly 30 minutes of searches while repeatedly demanding, "where's the crack? Gimme some crack." No drugs were ever found. Mr. Clark’s story is just one example of how LPSO’s discriminatory traffic enforcement results in life-altering consequences for Black drivers in Livingston Parish.
Despite the overwhelming statistical evidence, Sheriff Jason Ard and LPSO’s Chief Legal Officer have, to date, failed to provide an alternate, factual explanation for the evidence of racial disparities in LPSO’s traffic enforcement. Rather, LPSO has only argued that Mr. Clark cannot prove Sheriff Ard knew about the discrimination.
“These numbers are not surprising,” says Plaintiff Alexander Clark. Mr. Clark is a long-time resident of Livingston Parish and was part of the first class of Black students to desegregate Denham Springs High School in 1969. Mr. Clark led the Denham Springs High football team to their first and only appearance in a state championship and went on to play professional football n Canada. “I’ve traveled all over the world and the only time I’ve had trouble with the police is when I am here in Livingston Parish,” reports Mr. Clark. “I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else.”
“Sadly, I don’t think anyone in Livingston Parish is surprised by these numbers. What is surprising is LPSO’s failure to put an end to it.” says Marjorie Menza, Senior Attorney and Fellowship Director at the Trial Impact Project. “Unlike many other law enforcement agencies, including in Louisiana, LPSO does not have basic software capable of tracking enforcement patterns by race. This is a ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ method of law enforcement.”
“The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is compromised at its core. The same agency that targets Black people at five to seven times the rate of other residents also shelters the officers engaged in that unconstitutional conduct from accountability,” said Nora Ahmed, legal director for the ACLU of Louisiana. “This cannot stand. Livingston Parish deserves law enforcement that doesn't treat constitutional policing as optional."
This is far from the only time Sheriff Ard has faced criticism for his failure to respond proactively to systemic problems at LPSO, including previous allegations of deputy misconduct.
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The ACLU of Louisiana leads the charge to protect the civil rights and liberties of Louisianians, especially those most marginalized and historically harmed. True to our founding during the Civil Rights Movement, we are fearless in the face of intimidation and fight tirelessly to protect and empower Louisiana’s Black, Brown, Immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. We are part of a nationwide network of affiliates working in courts, legislatures, and communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.
The Trial Impact Project, formerly known as the Social Justice Legal Foundation, develops civil rights and social impact cases for trial. Working with communities who have historically been denied access to justice, we translate their experiences to the courtroom, unearth the facts to create a public record, and train a new generation of impact litigators to fight for accountability in court—from investigation to verdict
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.
